Nhorizon Skydancers

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by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

There is no dearth in the phalanx of bands in Progressive/Symphonic Metal today, and feel free to add one more to the list. Italy’s Nhorizon recently released their debut full-length, titled Skydancers, and it features everything from classically inspired keyboard passages, raging yet intricate guitar solos, colossal tempo changes and vocals that range from raging to crooning.

Opening with an instrumental is another “must” of these kinds of bands, and unfortunately Nhorizon buys into that rule with the first track, “Into the Night.” After this briefly nuanced intro, it blazes into a “The Skydancer,” and you can hear from the get-go guitarist Massimo Castri is as precise as he is speedy. Lead singer Lorenzo Ticci owns a smooth, clean delivery, but for some reason, when he screams, he hits about three different notes throughout the CD. You’ll hear it when he sings, “Cuz the secret, is just in your head!” While bands like Dream Theater and Symphony X feature singers as multi-faceted as the musicians surrounding them, Ticci’s reserves aren’t quite as deep. If you prefer your Metal with heavy keyboard solos, Fabrizio Muratori may be your new favorite keyboardist. If you are a fan of Jonah Weingarten, Muratori seems to come from the same school of over-the-top keyboarding.

While “The Skydancer” is sort of bubbly, almost Neo-Classical, “The Choice” is way more Metal, and much darker. Ticci goes from screaming to whispering and talking, and the time signatures change abruptly. The best part about Ticci is that he doesn’t overly use vibrato, which seems to infect many European Progressive singers. He is a powerful vocalist and rarely wavers. “The Choice” will remind you of Beyond Twilight; yes, it’s that good.

“Surfing Time” is another keyboard-led composition. Sometimes, in tracks like “Remember You,” the English gets mauled as they translate from Italian, but they strike gold in this cosmic song, with the lyrics taking you on a journey through endless space and time. “There is no past, no present, no future for me … just infinity.” As the song ends, and Ticci sings, “Surfing time …” the band rails into a heated musical passage with stark tempo changes, keyboard solos, and some inspired yet understated drumming from Allesandro Brandi. This is nearly as strong as “The Choice.”

The heaviest track on Skydancers is probably “Heroes,” and it should be a single if they are releasing any. Fans of everyone from Dragonforce to Power Quest will absolutely dig “Heroes.” In fact, when Ticci crescendos to the lyric, “Facing the enemy without fear, swords in hands … we are ready to die, call us heroes loud and high!” you can bet Manowar fans will become frenzied as well. Brandi’s drumming is a highlight of the song again, but bassist Simone Cantini lays down some stellar bass solos as well. It’s fairly obvious everyone in the band excels at their instrument; just listen to Castri’s guitar solo followed by Muratori’s dueling keyboard solo.

Most of Skydancers is full-throttle, so “Remember You” is a nice change of pace. A ballad, the acoustic guitars and keys buoy Ticci’s vocals, and this is probably the first time you truly notice his accent. You’ll even get violins in the background. The song builds to a more atmospheric and powerful composition, and the downside is the lyrics, “There is a part of myself that is never cheer up,” and Ticci hitting the same screamy note he hit on “The Skydancer” more than once.

Nhorizon is another newer band that reeks of potential, but they aren’t there yet. Skydancers is a strong debut and with the popularity (especially in Europe) of Progressive/Symphonic Metal, people should be paying attention. Maybe next time around they can have an English editor proofread the lyrics so the lyrics are as skilled as the music, but if that’s the only problem they have, then they don’t have any real problems at all.

Online: www.nhorizon.it

Track listing:
1. Into the Night
2. The Skydancer
3. The Choice
4. The Secret
5. Heaven’s War
6. Surfing Time
7. Anthem of …
8. Heroes
9. Remember You
10. Ancient Way

Hardrock Haven Rating: 7.1/10