HORIZON: Carve my Soul [tape] Advanced Death with melody, a la Mental Home, Odes Of Ecstasy. Check samples

Demo, self released
March 1997
1. Haunted
2. Mindstorm
3. Horizon
4. The Pit
5. Carved
6. Switchboard Of Souls

Check samples: www.myspace.com/horizonnl/music-player?sindex=1.1&shuffle=true&amix=fals...

Horizon was founded by Ronald Kools and Peter Kops during a concert halfway 1996. They had never played together before, but they both shared a large mutual interest: melodic and symphonic metal. At that time, Ronald was playing in Evisceration, a fairly successful symphonic deathmetal band. Goat, Peter's punk/rock band, had just split up.

The two guitarists started rehearsing in Buk Buk, a local youthcenter. However, it was until July that Horizon really set off. Evisceration fell apart and bassplayer Finus Tromp joined the band, followed a week later by former Godspeed and Union Morbide drummer, Marcel Hommes.

Symphonic metal without keyboards is almost out of the question. The only problem now is: which one? Both John Ruiter, ex-vocalist and keyboardplayer of Les Cavaliers Noirs and Richard Moot, former Evisceration keyboardplayer, are very interested in joining Horizon. Unable to decide, Ronald comes up with the idea to use two keyboardplayers for an even more atmospheric sound.

The first gig is played on the 21st of December, as support act of Gorefest. Although the band now exists for only 3 months, the reactions are overwhelming. The combination of grunt and normal vocals combined with a bombastic and atmospheric sound proves to be impressive. The positive reactions also result in other gigs with bands like Frozen Sun, Orphanage and Laberinto.

On the 8th and 9th of March the first demo, "Carve My Soul", is recorded and produced by Han Swagerman in the Beaufort Recording Studio in Bovenkarspel. Many positive reviews in local and foreign magazines show that Horizon faces a bright future. The recordlabels also notice the good reputation of the band and started to contact the band for possible CD recordings.