As may be guessed from the title, this is the third album from Christian progressive melodic rock band Time Horizon. They have been through quite a few line-up changes since their inception, but whereas the last album was featured around the core of Ralph Otteson (keyboards, piano, Hammond organ, backing vocals), Allen White (electric and fretless bass) and Dave Miller (electric guitar, acoustic guitars) plus assorted well-known session musicians such as Jake Livgren, Tony Kaye, Billy Sherwood etc, we now have a six-piece band with the trio being joined by David Bradley Mau (lead vocals, keyboards), Bruce Gaetke (drums, backing vocals, lead vocals), and Michael Gregory (electric guitar, acoustic guitars), although it should be noted that Gaetke was an original member of the band, although he performed on only a few tracks on the last album.
What strikes one immediately from the off is just how polished this is, and I was blown away as I did not expect an album of this quality from what is (to me) a totally new act. Just goes to show just how much great music there is out there, and that it is impossible to keep an eye (or ear) on everything which is going on. For me, the main comparison is with Saga, perhaps not too surprising with two keyboard players in the band, yet with two guitarists what really works here is the blend between the instruments and the arrangements. There is still room for cut-through, with the drums playing an incredibly important role in that area, and the vocals are spot-on throughout.
This is a real crossover album in that fans of melodic progressive rock will surely fall in love with it the very first time, as did I, while fans of more straightforward melodic rock will hopefully also find plenty in here to enjoy even though there is more depth and breadth than they would normally be used to. There are times when the guys allow themselves to be rockers, with the keyboards taking more of a backseat, providing some layers and tinkling piano, and then at others they are a synth-driven outfit with polish and balls. This is not music from 2022: it could have come out at the end of the Seventies and at any point up to 2000, with flair and musicianship joining with wonderful songs and hooks. If one had told me this was a supergroup I would not have been surprised, and within the first 30 seconds of opener “Living for a Better Day” I was doing research as I was blown away by what I was hearing.
Yet another incredible release from the mighty Melodic Revolution Records label, and well worth discovering.
8/10 Kev Rowland
