6/10 ONLY FOREVER– HORIZON SETS FIRE (INDEPENDENT)
Starting with an instrumental slows momentum before everything gets a chance to move, but once you get into the album proper, there’s much to like.

The structures of many of the songs are traditional, but the guitar sounds give the sometimes predictable arrangements great colour. Black Sunday and Open Window offer a mid-album high point, with Falling Down also strong, but suffering from another blip in momentum – a too-long introduction.

What Can I Do? suggests an affection for System Of A Down – a complicated, quirky arrangement and good musicianship on show.

The electro stylings of Extinction feel out of place relative to the forcefulness of the rest of the material – hard rock bands often have a great line in sensitive ballads, but this isn’t one of those.

It’s more just a step away from overall clarity of sound to something fuzzier and less interesting. – BD