A concentrated mix of head banging tunes, guitar laden tracks and soaring harmonized vocals, Horizon‘s ‘Cradled To Sleep’ is the debut album by the Delhi-based alt metal band, something you definitely shouldn’t sleep over. A 10-track release, the entire album feels as if you have been transported to a rock opera. The music rings in heavy guitar riffs and binding drum grooves. The entire soundscape is characterised by dark, moody sounds. In parts of the album, vocals are subdued by the sheer intensity of the glaring music with most of the tracks being power bundles of pulsating grooves that you can’t help but move to.
“The album took us a long time to complete, for various reasons. It reflects the experiences that we’ve had in the last 7 years. We started reading a lot of conspiracy theories related to Rothschild, Rockefeller and others which gave us a new perspective to look at the world with. It deeply impacted us and also, our personal struggles with love and guilt that helped us grow during the writing process. The album was initially conceived with the idea of portraying how people are distracted by the ‘luxuries’ of the world and fail to see who runs the world. While many people might not find anything wrong with our album art, we’d like to believe that it reflects our way of showing what has gone wrong with the world. It is intended to be a satire on the follies of the world.” says the band. The lyrics of the tracks too resonate similar emotions.
The intro track ‘Too Late To Save’ begins with a guitar heavy intro. The entire track is a powerhouse of energy, similar to many tracks on this album. Lyrically, the track speaks about a person who has to fight despite the odds being against him. Sonically, the tracks ‘Set Me High’ and ‘The One Within’ too pack a punch. A visible shift is observable in the tracks ‘Ally’ and ‘Prey, be wary’, with softer sounds becoming more prevalent. These tracks are characterised by deep and melancholic sounds. ‘Raven’ is an interesting track, as it almost feels like it is a background score for a horror movie. It is a story of a group of people who seem to be trapped in a dark place, as they are burdened by the weight of legacy.
The album is an amalgamation of feeling empowered, sad, happy and enthusiastic, all at once. A roller coaster ride of emotions, Horizon’s debut album is a great start to a band that introduces themselves to us through a sound that is familiar to us.
Hear the album below :
