By Steve Mirsik
Scandinavian alt-rockers Smash Into Pieces are definitely on the rise and one of the most notable bands around. Their highly anticipated new full-length album, ‘A New Horizon’, continues and completes the story of the band’s previous record, ‘Arcadia’. A futuristic world riddled with political corruption and driven by fear and misinformation, the landscape is a mirror image of reality; the setting may be different, but the issues buried within the album couldn’t be more familiar. The band’s sound is masterfully crafted with a combination of futuristic electronics and driving percussion infused with larger-than-life guitars and stadium worthy vocals.
‘Rise Up’ begins the story with a hopeful outlook on overcoming adversity. Starting off as a slow piano piece the track begins to pick up the pace, transforming into a full-blown anthem about picking yourself up and believing in the impossible. ‘Real One’ is one of the powerhouse singles from the album about feeling like an outcast. With an incredibly powerful chorus, this track will have you singing along in no time. ‘My Wildest Dream’ takes us on a deep dive into an electronic dream world, while ‘Bangarang’ is a driving force to be reckoned with. Each track warrants its place on the album as the story continues to unfold.
Another undeniably strong single on the album is ‘Broken Parts’. It’s no wonder that the music video has close to 500K views on YouTube (don’t just take my word for it, go check it out!). ‘Cut You Off’ is a powerful track about cutting ties and moving on, which is relatable to many. ‘Glow in the Dark’ is another riff-heavy headbanger that stands out. ‘Running Away from Home’ and ‘My Shadow’ are two more well-written songs that fit in perfectly with the rest. The title track, ‘A New Horizon’, is an electro-pop style with a solid sax solo that added a nice texture to the song. It’s also the last song with vocals, which closes out the story with hopeful lyrics about letting the darkness fade away into, you guessed it, A New Horizon! ‘Outrun’ is an ethereal outro similar to the end credits of your favorite movie.
Overall, ‘A New Horizon’ is an incredibly well-written album, which comes as no surprise. Smash Into Pieces has given one of the most intriguing works of 2021. If you’re a fan of Twenty-One Pilots, Linkin Park and Shinedown, you’ll love Smash Into Pieces. Now that the ‘Arcadia’ story is complete, I’m looking forward to what comes next.
- ‘A New Horizon’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
- Smash Into Pieces will open for Within Temptation and Evanescence on their ‘Worlds Collide’ 2022 European tour, which includes dates at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on Monday 4 April, the O2 in London on Tuesday 5 April, the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on Thursday 7 April and Utilita Arena in Birmingham on Friday 8 April.
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