These days, it seems that the only place modern rock exists is on the radio. I can hardly find any of it underground. It could be that it doesn’t exist, or I’m just looking in the wrong places. Either way, Orizon is the first independent modern rock group I’ve heard in a long while.
Their songs flaunt modern rock flair without shame. “Black Box” has a distinctly Trapt feel to it which resounds throughout the album, although “Black Box” shows it most. While they are modern rockers, they don’t hesitate to slow down, as “Breathe Deep” has a nice long intro that smacks of sadness and introspective views. Don’t call it emo though. It’s not. The best song here, the quiet yet lithe “One Good Reason”, has a stellar vocal performance, unassisted by the screams they sometimes use. It feels like New-School Juliana Theory (“Love” Era….you know, the non-emo album).
How we rate this depends on what your standards are. The usual standard is: Would this get play on a modern rock station? The answer to that is a resounding yes. They are just rebellious enough to fit in well with the watered-down metal of today’s radio. But my standard has always been “Will you want to listen to this again?” The answer to that is a bit less resounding, but still yes. The funny thing is: The quieter stuff is better. But when all is said and done, Orizon is a modern rock band that’s straddling the line between powerful and beautiful, and both work.
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