Smash Into Pieces is a Swedish band that started back in 2008. The band has progressed over the years and their sound has become more of an amalgam of electro, EDM, atmospheric, pop, rock & metal music instead of electronic based. They have also managed to create a personal sound over the years, something that’ is not that easy nowadays; you can easily distinct them from the other bands that follow the same music path. Apart from the music part, the vocalist has played a major role, Chris Adam Hedman Sörbye, who really has an amazing voice on the whole… and his “raspy” vocals are simply stunning at times.
“A New Horizon”, as the cover artwork proclaims, could easily be a post-apocalyptic soundtrack, as the atmospheric parts are all over the album and are finely combined with the electro and rock/metal elements. The production is superb, tight and full. I do think that they have done it themselves, along with the recordings… and I ought to give them kudos for having done such a great job in general.
Smash Into Pieces have the tendency not to leave their fans without “music food” for long time, so they release new singles every so often. Hence some of you may have listened to some of those tracks prior to the album release, but that ain’t something bad. Moreover the single release often features an acoustic version of the song, so you should always follow closely with these guys, cuz they keep the surprises coming. For instance I had the pleasure to listen to “Rise Up” from the new album, when it was released as a single, and I immediately got hooked. I do fancy the rockier side of them like on the “Glowing in the Dark” song, cuz it fits perfectly with the vocals. Moreover the sax solo on the title track is wonderful! Anyhow I won’t refer to my favorites of this album, as everyone would have their own choices, but I’m gonna say that I vastly enjoyed the last instrumental song, “Outrun”, which is like a Vangelis tribute from the band, from his “dystopian music days”. “A New Horizon” is most likely the best work of the band to date! This album deserves to be on the lists with the “Best Album of 2021” for sure!
