Jorn's 'Over the Horizon Radar' - Album Review

The Norwegian hard rock/heavy metal singer Jørn Lande often feels like he is part of a new wave of traditional heavy metal, and is this generation's version of Ronnie James Dio, but, considering that he has been in the business for around 30 years at this point, he actually now something of a veteran in his own right. I think that it is easy to forgot how long Lande has been singing, especially given the number of bands and projects that he has been a part of over the years, but his ageless voice and old-school attitude has helped to keep the flames of both traditional hard rock and heavy metal burning over the years. Whilst he has been involved with power and progressive metal bands over the years, for me Lande is always at his best when he is operating under his own steam. He formed the self-titled band Jorn over 20 years ago at this point, and it is with Jorn that, in my opinion, he has written some of his finest songs. He has worked with a lot of great collaborators over the years, but Lande is a great songwriter in his own right - and that is very much evident throughout the 11 songs that make up the latest Jorn album Over the Horizon Radar, which was released back in June. I say this because, with the exception of two songs, all of the tracks here were written by Lande alone. He has rarely done this throughout his career, and it shows that he does not need to always work with a collaborator. Over the Horizon Radar is the first Jorn album of original material since 2017's excellent Life on Death Road (which I reviewed here) - which was an expansive album that included a lot of memorable songs. It could have done with a little fat trimming, though, but there are a lot of songs on the 2017 release that I still return to regularly - and the album had a muscular tone that helped it sit among the heaviest of Lande's works. Jorn's sound has generally been fair consistent, though, so I knew what to expect when I first listened to Over the Horizon Radar a couple of months ago. It is similar in style to Life on Death Road and all of Jorn's previous albums, but it perhaps feels a bit less heavy than the 2017 album. Over the Horizon Radar is still very much a heavy metal album, though, but there is perhaps a bit more of Lande's love of 1970s and 1980s hard rock on show this time. It is an album that is very much typical of the band's core sound, though, making it the latest in a long line of solid releases from Lande. Keyboardist Alessendro Del Vecchio (who surprisingly has had no songwriting input at all here) and drummer Francesco Jovino return from Life on Death Road; and the six-piece band sees the return of long-time guitarist Tore Moren - who's last Jorn studio album was 2012's Bring Heavy Rock to the Land. Rounding out the band are newcomers guitarist Adrian SB (Fuzz Generation; Føss) and bassist Nik Mazzucconi (Edge of Forever; Labyrinth) - both of whom contribute to the album's rich and hard rocking sound.

For me, the album opens with a run of great songs. Over the Horizon Radar is one that showcases its best moments first, then, and the title track kicks things off in fine fashion. The chunky, mid-paced song opens with a melodic, snaking riff which soon gives way to a meaty power chord pattern that forms the basis of the verse. Despite being in the business for around 30 years, Lande's voice has not diminished at all. He sounds as powerful here as he ever has, the song's power chord-led verse is brought to life by his gravelly tone. He still knows how to craft a hooky vocal melody, too, and the song's chorus moves into slightly more melodic territory with less of a focus on big chords and an arpeggio-esque melody. The chorus is one that instantly sticks in the brain, too, and Lande's less-gritty delivery during it helps to bring to mind a lot of classic 1980s heavy metal releases. A great guitar solo injects some flair and additional melody into the piece, whilst a slow-burning bridge section later on channels Dio-era Black Sabbath with its moody melodies and dense keyboard textures. The song is a great way to kick the album off, and it is very much a Jorn classic. Two seven-plus minute songs follow, but they are both excellent and do not outstay their welcome despite their length. Dead London is the first of the two, and it opens with the tolling of Big Ben - before a melodic guitar hook kicks in, which the rest of the band then build around. This morphs into an opening solo section, which makes use of both Moren and SB with some great harmonised leads, and then eventually transitions into a slower-paced verse - which features a rumbling keyboard backing and big power chords that ring out for Lande to powerfully croon over. Jorn generally operate at mid or slower paces, and Dead London is a perfect example of this. The riffing throughout is simple, although there are occasional guitar leads to inject some flair, and the booming drum performance of Jovino channels the distinct style of Vinny Appice at times - adding further to the Dio vibes that Lande himself conjures up. The chorus is another hooky one, too, and the track is another winner. My Rock and Roll is generally similar in tone, but it starts off in a much more stripped-back manner with some acoustic guitars that Lande croons over in his inimitable style. This vibe is fairly short-lived, though, as another muscular riff soon crashes in and the song very much reverts to type. Despite its quieter intro, the song is the heaviest of the album's opening trio - and it never really lets up after getting going. Del Vecchio's Hammond organ is very prominent in the mix throughout, and the guitars of Moren and SB are weighty - which ensures that the song is something of a wall of noise. There are still plenty of hooks, though, and the chorus is another lumbering monster that is easy latch onto - with Lande himself delivering another powerful vocal performance.

The quality of the album's opening trio is continued with One Man War, which perhaps reins some of the overt heaviness of My Rock and Roll and returns to a sound more akin to the album's title track - with some big guitar melodies and more of a focus on Lande's vocal hooks. The verses are a bit more stripped back, with Mazzucconi's bass taking the centre stage - whilst the keyboards add depth. This allows Lande's vocal performance to really shine, even more so than usual, and the arrangement also allows the chorus to hit harder when it kicks in. The song's chorus is heavier, with another riff straight out of the 1980s heavy metal playbook - which Lande sings over perfectly with plenty of gravitas. There are another couple of lengthy guitar solo spots, too, which include some more excellent interplay between Moren and SB. This is the first album where the two have worked together, and their harmony leads throughout the album are excellent - as this song's solo section can attest to. Black Phoenix takes on more of a punchier feel than the album's opening four songs - and it ups the pace somewhat with some machine gun drumming during its intro. It feels somewhat more urgent than the preceding songs, but it still very much feels at home here - and the track injects a little energy into the album with its hard-hitting sound and Jovino's drumming. It is the only song here co-written by Moren, and the song reminds me of previous Lande/Moren collaborations thanks to its more overt heavy metal vibes and a blistering, shredded guitar solo. It is another memorable song here, adding to the quality that has been heard up to this point. Special Edition is one of only two songs here that is under four minutes, and the snappy rocker is decent - but it lacks the expansiveness of the songs that have been heard up to this point. The riffing is less inspired, though, and the chorus feels a bit clunky - with vocal lines that feel too long for the melodies that they serve. As such, it is one of the album's weaker moments - and it does feel like a bit of a comedown following five such strong pieces. Lande tends to operate better writing longer form pieces, and Special Edition feels a bit undercooked to me. Ode to the Black Nightshade gets the album back on track, though, and like My Rock and Roll is opens slowly with some acoustic guitars and Lande's rich voice. He sings against this stripped-back musical backing for a short period, before the song proper kicks in - and it morphs into another muscular and powerful mid-paced rocker. Musically the song is a little simpler, though, and the vocals are very much pushed to the fore. Lande's vocal hooks really soar here, and both the verses and the chorus are packed full of hooks - whilst occasional bursts of lead guitar inject brief moments of speed amongst the mid-paced muscle of the rest of the piece. It is another strong cut here, returning the album to the high quality of the opening handful of songs.

Winds of Home, which is the shortest song here at just over three minutes, has more of an atmospheric sound - with Del Vecchio's keyboards playing quite a big role throughout. At first it seems that the song is going to be a slow one, but the guitars soon kick in and the chugging pattern and hi-hat accompaniment form a great backing for Lande's melodic and expansive vocal performance. The song never really kicks in beyond that, but it works given its short length - and it ends up acting like a ballad despite it not really being one. Lande's vocal performance throughout the song is more melodic than it generally is, with much of his usual grit put aside to allow for a more emotional delivery. In the Dirt returns to the album's core sound, but adds a layer of bombast - particularly early on as the main riff is backed by plenty of big keyboards which add a lot of depth and melody. The song has a big 1980s stadium rock feel at times, but it still very much sounds like a classic Jorn number - and there is still a moodiness throughout thanks to its arpeggio-driven verses and Lande's love of a gravelly melody. Whenever the song returns to its huge opening riff, though, those stadium vibes return - and it is probably my favourite riff on the album overall thanks to how much swagger it has. Lande writes in this mode occasionally, and it always hits hard when he does. I think that some of the hooks throughout the song could have been a bit bigger as a result, but the chorus is still a strong one with plenty of smooth melodies that become earworms after a handful of listens. Believer is another song that is very much rooted in Jorn's core sound, but there is also a strong 1970s classic rock feel thanks to the prominence of Del Vecchio's keyboards. Keyboards have not generally been a big part of Jorn's sound over the years, and that is generally the case throughout this album, but Believer's main riff is very much organ-driven - bringing Deep Purple and Uriah Heep to mind. Despite this, though, the song is still weighty - and it is another slower-paced track that feels heavier as a result. I think that Lande has written stronger songs in this vein, but the vocal hooks are memorable (even if some of the melodies are very similar to the Eagles' King of Hollywood at a times - which is not a comparison I was expecting to make) and the occasional bursts of lead guitar help to keep things interesting. The album then comes to a close with Faith Bloody Faith, that has a bit of a different sound to the rest of the album. It still sounds like Jorn, with its big riffs and a commanding Lande vocal performance, but it is much more upbeat than is typical - and has a stronger keyboard presence than usual. It actually reminds me of a somewhat toned down version of something like Beast in Black - with its hooky grooves and energetic synths. It does not egregiously channel that sound, but it certainly sees Lande trying something new. It works I think, but it does rather stick out like a sore thumb on the album - which is perhaps why it was left to the end. It is a fun, energetic piece, though, and Lande's vocals are as powerful as ever - which are showcased throughout the upbeat and pumping chorus. Overall, though, and despite the slightly odd ending, Over the Horizon Radar is another very strong album from Jorn that is packed full of memorable old-school metal anthems with plenty of power and melody. It generally sticks to Lande's tried and tested formula, but those who are fans of his will find plenty to enjoy here.

The album was released on 17th June 2022 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Over the Horizon Radar.