By Jim Rowland

Artwork for Sudden Death by HorisontSix albums in just over ten years is a good run rate by today’s standards, and that’s just what versatile Gothenburg heavy rockers Horisont have achieved so far with new album ‘Sudden Death’, their sixth, and the second for Century Media, following up 2017’s excellent ‘About Time’. Horisont pride themselves on making the music that they want to make, but is ‘Sudden Death’ what we want to hear?

Horisont are often mentioned in the same breath as fellow Swedish retro rockers like Witchcraft and Graveyard, but whilst those two bands were often bracketed in the doom and stoner department, Horisont had a brighter, more classic rock approach from the start, with their 2009 debut ‘Två Sidor Av Horisonten’ often reminiscent of the Coverdale/Hughes era of Deep Purple. They signed to Rise Above Records, once home to Witchcraft too, for the next three albums which saw the band grow and progress no end, exploring many different avenues and delivering the goods at every opportunity. The influences are plentiful, from the harder edged rock of Quo, Lizzy, Sabbath, Purple and BOC to the more prog-oriented influence of the likes of Jethro Tull and Yes.

I remember once reading they cited the perennially unfashionable Styx as a band they admired, which has to be admired in itself, and with ‘Sudden Death’ that influence has come to the fore to a greater extent than ever before, with a subtle AOR flavour seeping in, mixed with the lush, sophisticated 70s pop rock of the likes of 10CC, Supertramp, ELO and perhaps even Queen. The latter is most evident on the brave piano-driven opening track ‘Revolution’ which is quite a departure even by Horisont’s standards, but works a treat. ‘Free Riding’ does bear some hallmarks of the pomp rock of the aforementioned Styx, as does the very catchy ‘Breaking The Chain’ and the dramatic and uplifting ‘Hold On’. ‘Pushin’ The Line’, ‘Standing Here’ and ‘Runaway’ tread more familiar Horisont hard rocking territory, with ‘Runaway’ boasting a cracking Skynyrd-esque twin guitar solo.

Elsewhere, both ‘Into the Night’ and ‘Sail On’ are irresistible slices of driving, AOR flavoured rock and real highlights for me, with the former adding a welcome touch of saxophone into the mix and both featuring some great keyboard work amongst the crunching guitars. Album closer ‘Archaeopteryx In Flight’ illustrates the diversity of the band by taking a slightly leftfield move into the realms of instrumental prog, with this eight-minute epic.

‘Sudden Death’ really is a great album, and one of those albums that grows on you with each listen, and arguably their most accessible album to date. Its proof that believing in what you do, and doing just what you want, is no bad thing. Horisont really have flourished in their ten year recording career, and really do deserve a higher profile than they currently enjoy. Perhaps this is the album to do it.

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