“Conquerors” opens with “Rise Against The Odds” and it takes about five seconds to rejoin battle and let you know what it is all about.
This is “proper” metal if you like. The sort of thing where you say it’s “overblown”, “grandiose”, “pompous” even and they go “Thanks very much”.
The core men in New Horizon – Jona Tee of H.E.A.T and Nils Molin of bands like Amaranthe – had long been friends and when Tee was searching for singers after Erik Grönwall went off to Skid Row he thought of Molin.
Gronwall had provided vocals on the first album, but in honesty, “Conquerors” is a massive step forward.
“King Of Kings” initially sounds like it could be on the Frozen soundtrack but kicks in with a real menace “Dynamo” finds the sweet spot between power metal and something more melodic.
This is superbly done, because where some of this stuff sounds dated, this never does. Instead “Shadow Warrior” soars but in a real modern way and one of the longest things on view here “Apollo” is not only wonderfully epic, but it also is like a masterclass in how this sort of music needs doing.
“Fallot War” is as heavy as this gets, a marvellous thing, not far from the likes of Symphony X and so on, s Molin shows his range.
Indeed, although there are only two of them officially in the band, the musicians around them are superb, which means that the ones with a real epic intent like “Messenger of The Stars” – on which drummer Georg Härnsten Egg is shotgun sharp – have a real punch and when Elize Ryd of Armanthe joins Moiin on the duet of “Before The Dawn” it could win Eurovision.
“Edge Of Insanity” has a real fist-clenching intent and would sound great live. Indeed, you can imagine this being a brilliant festival band and the last one “Alexander The Great” even sounds like Maiden are doing it. But it’s stunning. It really is. It takes balls to cover the best. These boys are swinging theirs.
The sort of thing that you kind of go, “Wow, that’s a bit much” initially, but then you lose yourself in it. Embrace the truest of metal sounds. Ready to conquer all. You will not resist this, no matter how you try.
Rating 9/10
