Awakening the World

Have you ever listened to an album and have it hit you like a ton of bricks falling off a 20 story building? Have you ever listened to an album and actually have it INSPIRE you? This album, above all of the other albums I own has done this to me. No other band plays with more emotion and purpose than Lost Horizon, and this is only their first album.

I cannot express in mere words how good this album sounds...and it's only their first CD! The guitars sound amazing, with harmonies and thrashy riffs throughout. The bass pounds and weaves with the drums to give an incredibly tight rhythm section. And what about the drums you ask? The are so good you will find yourself flipping through the insert booklet to locate his name ( Christian Nyquist, by the way) so you can bring him up when people talk about great drummers. And perhaps the greatest part of this band...The singing! Daniel Heiman is probobly one of the greatest singers to come into metal in years. He has incredibe range and screams out notes with more power than almost anyone I have ever heard. In fact, the entire band plays with an incredible amount of energy and power that i just sat in front of my CD player for the whole legnth of this album, captivated by the greatness of this band.

So, how are the songs? Well, just calling them "Excellent" wouldn't even come close to doing them justice. Yes, they are THAT good.

The Opener "Heart of Storm" quickly starts things off with a headbanging beat and tight riff. The main reason I bring up this song is that I feel that it best shows off what the band is capable of, ESPECIALLY Heiman. The part near the end of the song where he belts out " And now I'm free" still sends chills down my spine. And it's the only part in ANY song by ANY artist or band that has ever done that to me. There is just something that these guys have that so many other bands out there fail to capture, a true feeling of energy and power. You actually feel like they mean every note that they play and sing.

Other notable songs are... well, actually all of them are notable! "Sworn in the Metal Wind" has great uplifting lyrics and a thrashy main riff that will get your heart going. "World through My Fateless eyes" is equally powerful, along with "Welcome Back", a song about being reborn. Perfect Warrior is a slower, more driving song, but just as good as any of the faster tunes on the album. Denial of Fate is another fast one with an INCRDIBLE chorus, which features Heiman's vocals layered into a harmony to make the song even thicker. The final song off the album, "The Kingdom of My Will" brings the album to a stunning close, starting off with something that sounds almost fanfare-like. An Epic song in every sense of the word and you hardly notice the 9+ minutes slip by.

I know this review may seem overly positive but I cannot stress how incredible this album is. When I listen to this album It actually instills a feeling that anything can be accomplished. This is the first album for me that actualy transcends "music" and becomes an almost religious experience.

It's a rare thing when an album can actually take you away from this sometimes mundane world and take you on a journey, and make you feel like a better person when you return, and this album does it. And just think about it... IT'S ONLY THEIR FIRST ALBUM!!

I give this album my highest reccomendation.