The Finnish Death Metal scene emerged along with the Second Wave of the genre in the 90s, with acts as SENTENCED and AMORPHIS setting the genre’s foundations. But both bands share a similar feature: both started to evolve and to leave Death Metal limits. It means that bounds and limits aren’t welcome on Finland when extreme Metal genres are the matter. And the HORIZON IGNITED, a Finnish sextet from Kouvola, seems to be breaking limits as well with “Tides”. Based on a Melodic Death Metal model usual for Finnish Death Metal acts, the sextet has no fear. In reality their music depicts something modern and aggressive, but still Death Metal enough to erode bones to dust.

It’s filled with a very good technical outfit, with melodies being a bit more subjective than expected; on the other hand, one can feel that their music is plenty of different elements (as the way the keyboards are used is different, as heard on the intro of “My Grave Shall Be the Sea (Leviathan pt. II)”), some melodic and deep touches, clean guitar parts and clean Progressive Rock-like vocals - that provides a melancholic touch to songs as “Beneath the Dark Waters” - and many more can be found on their music. It’s very personal and full of energy, indeed. Juho ’33 Devil’s Horns’ Räihä (guitarist of SWALLOW THE SUN) worked with the sextet at Inka Studio, recording things, and Chris Clancy (who previously worked with MACHINE HEAD, KATAKLYSM, AMON AMARTH, DEATH ANGEL and others) did the mixing and mastering, and the sonority is filled with aggressiveness, showing greasy tunes for the guitars on the distorted moments; but everything sounds defined and understandable. And what great work of Riivata Visuals for the cover!

“Beneath the Dark Waters” (very good melancholic clean guitars and clean vocals contrasting with the massive and modern aggressiveness of the sextet), “Ashes” (that’s truly aggressive and sharp, with fine keyboards’ arrangements, and where Jaakko Mäntymaa of MARIANAS REST, CHAOTIC and ID: EXORCIST appears on the vocals), “Baptism by Fire” (that is a classic Melodic Death Metal song, with fast tempos), “Welcome to This House of Hate” (a smashing bones moment with slow tempos, with touches of groove on the heavy work of bass guitar and drums), “My Grave Shall Be the Sea (Leviathan pt. II)” (filled with a clear melancholic appeal, with Gothic Rock-like vocals contrasting with growls and screams), “Prison of My Mind”, “Fraction of Eternity” (aggressive and nasty, again with contrasts between clean vocals and death growls), “Aurora’s Dance”, “Tides” (wow, lovely Pop traces can be found on this one in many moments, a courageous song for Death Metal) and “Fragments” are moments that’ll defy definition and conceptions of many fans. But you’re mature enough, so deal with it (or learn to do it).

It's obvious that HORIZON IGNITED has an impressive work, and the tendency is that “Tides” will take them to higher levels of recognition by the fans.