Stange Horizon
Beyond the Strange Horizon

Norwegians comes up to a strange horizon, a band I figured was of the progressive rock variety considering the look of the album. But they are said to be inspired by the likes of Black Sabbath, and Saint Vitus to name a few. It is the debut album of the trio from the rainy town of Bergen, a place where you might see some strange horizons thanks to the plentiful rainfall.

It is a doomy album, whoever listens will notice that they are heavily influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, and overall it is a nostalgic album. Seventies and eighties rock and metal seems to be where the framework for this album is found, with a more modern and heavy production – a good production. They heavy a decent vocalist as well as fairly varied song selection, the playing time is sensible enough not to feel overly long. It is a solid production where you will be hard pressed to find the few strands of fresh sounds that exists.

I find this to be a good album, the songs are accessible and good, there are even some great stuff to be found here. It is a bit too unoriginal to make much of a mark though, some fresh ideas would have been very beneficial to the impression. Still, it is a fine album to listen to, it has been running in my car stereo for quite a while now and it is a nice companion on the ride. What is missing is the lack of an excellent hit song, and fresh ideas – it is a bit familiar and not memorable enough to make a strong impact.

If you like bands like Black Sabbath there is a good chance that you will like what Strange Horizon has to offer, they make solid and inoffensive heavy and doomy metal music that can be worth checking out for those that are fans of the genre. Hardly an album that will make any major impact on the world of music, but perhaps enjoyable enough to give a spin in the stereo.

HHHHHHH