“A New Horizon” Album Review

posted September 3, 2021 in Arts & Entertainment by Colton Pleslusky.

Scandinavian explosive rock band Smash Into Pieces introduces 2021 to part two of their fictional sci-fi storytelling with the release of “A New Horizon”.

A direct sequel album to 2020’s “Arcadia”, “A New Horizon” continues the lyrical story of Apoc in the corrupted world of Arcadia.

The album showcases fast and exhilarating songs such as “Glow in the Dark” and “Broken Parts”, with outliers such as “My Shadow” providing a thoughtful look into ourselves and the titular song “A New Horizon” bringing a lighthearted and pop-rock ending to the album.

Ever on the rise, Smash Into Pieces only gets better with age.

The lead singer, Chris Adam Hedman Sorbye, continues to prove his gravely, and hard-hitting, vocals provide a fuel to the fire that is the usual instrumental ability of his bandmates.

Sorbye’s ability to hit higher notes while maintaining his same signature voice is astounding, and once a listener hears him, his voice will be recognizable anywhere.

Sorbye’s vocal melody in songs like “Running Away from Home” and “Rise Up” are extremely pleasing to hear and are guaranteed to get stuck in the listener’s head for the rest of the day. It’s great enough that the only way to satisfy the mind is to listen to the song again and again.

The instrumental behind the songs is stellar and exciting. The band continues to broaden its “horizons” with new sounds that still stay true to the core instrumental. Benjamin Jennebo and Per Bergquist have this natural affinity for their instruments, and their passion flows into the songs without a doubt.

Of course, The Apocalypse DJ throws all he has into his drumming and creates this sense of mystery and flair as he smashes the drums behind his signature glowing mask.

“A New Horizon” is an album that can be summed up with three concepts: revolution, deception, and hope. Complete with its sci-fi feel, each song can fall under one of those three.

Some songs, like “My Wildest Dream” and “Bangarang”, have a story behind them dealing with deception through virtual reality.

There is a sound for every listener on this album. As mentioned above, Smash Into Pieces changes the tune, and feel, every other song. So, should a listener not care too much for the heavy “Broken Parts”, perhaps the pop-rock tune of “My Wildest Dream” will be more enticing.

Otherwise, every song on the album is enjoyable to a large degree.

Overall, Smash Into Pieces has created another hit with “A New Horizon”, and should continue on this ever evolving path they have set upon.

Reviewer’s Favorite Song: “Running Away from Home”

Least Favorite: “My Wildest Dream”

Review Score: 9/10


Colton Pleslusky is a fourth-year student studying telecommunications. To contact him, email csp5289@psu.edu.

About the Contributors

Colton Pleslusky's photo

Colton Pleslusky

Fourth-Year / Telecommunications

Colton S. Pleslusky is a fourth-year from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania majoring in telecommunications at Penn State. He is a director and writer for the CommRadio Arts & Entertainment Department as well as the host on Nittany Stories and a co-host on Nittany Record Club alongside Emily McGlynn. He does behind the scenes tasks, including directing, producing, programming and more for the Centre County Report. To contact him, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).