Review by Andy Houghton for MPM
Scandinavian electro-rocker band Smash Into Pieces formed over a decade ago and came to prominence with their well-received third album ‘Rise And Shine’ in 2017.
That watershed saw a change in the band’s line-up and a shift in their sound, with the addition of more electro elements.
They’ve since become one of the biggest alternative rock bands in Scandinavia, boasting over 170 million streams on Spotify and more than 65 million views on YouTube. It’s little surprise therefore that they’re going to be supporting Within Temptation and Evanescence on their upcoming co-headline ‘Worlds Collide’ tour in 2022.
‘A New Horizon’ is the band’s sixth studio album, and continues an ambitious story arc that began with their previous album ‘Arcadia’ last year. The narrative details a futuristic world riddled with political corruption and driven by fear and misinformation, the landscape being a mirror image of reality.
‘A New Horizon’ blends the band’s signature electronica with rock to create a relatively easy going fusion that’s pitched towards the ‘pop’ end of the scale. It’s likely to prove a little too light for some – some tracks, most notably ‘My Wildest Dream’, have an almost ‘Eurovision’ vibe to them – but it’s coherent and consistent, and the overall sound meshes well with the lyrical content.
Chris Sörbye is impressive on vocals – highly melodic, but able to push his voice into harsher territory when the lyrics require it, while the instrumentals are tight and the overall production is polished and well-balanced. Album highlights include ‘Broken Parts’ and ‘Glow in the Dark’ which represent the album’s more substantial offerings, and are harder-hitting without losing sight of the band’s essential catchiness.
‘A New Horizon’ won’t be for everyone – if you’re after heavy metal, look elsewhere – but if you’re looking for well-polished electro-rock with skilful lyrics underpinned by an ambitious over-arching concept, then Smash Into Pieces deliver the goods.
Line-up:
Chris Adam Hedman Sörbye | Vocals
Benjamin Jennebo | Guitar
Per Bergquist | Guitar
The Apocalypse DJ | Drums
Tracklisting:
Rise Up
Real One
My Wildest Dream
Bangarang
Broken Parts
Cut You Off
Glow in the Dark
Running Away from Home
My Shadow
A New Horizon
Outrun
A New Horizon’ is released on August 27th, 2021
Website: https://www.smashintopieces.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmashIntoPieces
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smashintopieces
