I was a big fan of Stephen Fredrick's vocals on the first two Kenziner albums, so Kuikka certainly had his work cut out for him, at least from my end. The Last Horizon is the Kenziner debut for Book of Reflections and Status Minor vocalist Markku Kuikka. The more modern sound presented actually sounds a tad more like Keskinen’s Virtuocity project, but that’s definitely not a bad thing. While this is certainly a Kenziner album, I get a lot less of that old school, neoclassical vibe that was so present on the earlier albums.
#Kenziner the last horizon full#
Even the ballad-esque “Perfect Moment” features a stunning melodic solo, full of arpeggios and fast-paced fret maneuvering. The title track has one of the speediest, fiery numbers on board and even boasts a rather Stratovarius styled keyboard versus guitar lead battle. Keskinen's guitar skills have certainly not waned over the years, as there are shredding, Malmsteen styled solos all over the place. This is in a rather stark comparison to Kenziner's previous full length, The Prophecies, was exceptionally front loaded (all the killer tracks first, which left the remaining filler to fizzle out by the end). The Last Horizon showcases an even approach, with a healthy mix of fast-paced scorchers, like “Run for Your Life” and “No Turning Back”, and slower, mid-tempo melodic metal, such as “Keep the Flame Alive”.
Indeed, not much has changed with the band, as Keskinen's songwriting skills are still top notch and the band's music is laden with his superb guitar work. With a freshly revamped lineup, Kenziner makes a fifteen year break look like the drop of a hat. Shifting his focus once again to Kenziner, The Last Horizon not only marks Keskinen's third Kenziner album, but it marks the first Kenziner album in fifteen years. Jarno Keskinen, the driving force behind Kenziner and Virtuocity, has returned after an extended break from the music scene with his first music put to tape since Vituocity's last demo, Fire and Fury, which dropped in 2009.
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