It does not surprise me much that many bands of today are seeking inspiration in the days of yesteryear. What stuns me at times is how some of them are absolutely nailing the sound and atmosphere of the music made before the artists were even born. The dedication, the research that must have gone into compositions, the complete immersion into the epoch they are trying to portray – all of this are absolute keys to success and authenticity.

There is no question that 70s were metal formative years. Some of the bands who began their journeys in the late 60s – early 70s, like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, may not have even played metal on their early albums, but their contributions from those days have shaped our beloved genre forever. It is the days of heavy blues rock from the 70s Swedish Horisont are trying to recreate on their debut Tva Sidor av Horisonten, in their second go-around as a band. Before we go on, allow me to summarize, Horisont achieve their goal in stunning, captivating and elegant fashion.

The Swedes do it throughout the album, touching in the process on all aspects of the 70s heavy rock sound. They unleash catchy radio rockers, progressive winding jams, all songs full with warm analog sound and infused with fair share of hallucinogens. The opener Nightrider is an absolute bona fide hit, if there was one. The main riff absolutely etches on the brain and would be impossible to forget, you will be humming it for days. The Unseen is pure wistful psychedelia, portrayed so well in Lake of Tears Crimson Cosmos. Horisont Boogie, title absolutely fitting, is downright playful, with piano touches and a quick bass solo, the song rolling along as if to the rhythm of a constant hand clap.

Those are the album’s faster tracks, but Horisont know precisely when and how to slow things down to wrap a listener in a song which would drag just the exact right amount (Oh, My Lord, Du Rode and, of course, the closer Efter Min Pipa). It is these slower cuts which produce the most fuzz, some extremely convoluted jazzy passages, and prominent bass runs.

Some songs set to a painfully familiar motif I think I have heard before (Tiggaren), Horisont also borrows from the 70s the wah-wah effects, the fretboard slides, the reverberating pedals, the cowbell percussion (Just Ain’t Right) and the cavernous booming yet muffled sound of Black Sabbath Children of the Grave on High Time. Combine all of that with Axel Soderberg’s naturally high, sometimes weepy, voice reaching into Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) territory, and the time travel effect is absolutely complete. Half of the songs having Swedish lyrics gives Tva Sidor av Horisonten an unusual exotic edge.

I heartily recommend this record for my older compatriots longing to relive the days of our youth, and for my younger friends who are curious about the metal/heavy rock origins.