In 2001 something happened. Something that changed the world altogether. Something big. Something that should never be forgotten. Something truly awesome: newborn Swedish power metal gods, Lost Horizon, released its debut Awakening the World via now defunct label Music for Nations. The reason I’m speaking about an 11 year old album is because The End Records recently acquired rights to a boxload of Music for Nations releases, among them Awakening the World, which is, in my humble opinion, possibly one of the best power metal albums ever conceived. After 11 years, it’s only proper to remind people of what they might have missed the first time around.

A decade ago, power metal was still relatively current genre—it had had a strong run—but times were changing and new winds were blowing into the metal kingdom. Metalcore was a bit different than it is today and melodic death metal was starting to shape-shift into something else as well. Into the maelstrom, out of nowhere, came Lost Horizon.

Without backing any of my claims with historical, canonized facts or debated timelines, I’m stating here and now that Awakening the World beat power metal into submission, forcing the once powerhouse genre to seek refuge at the sidelines for the years to come. Not because the album was a travesty – on the contrary (as I’ve already revealed). Awakening the World was, is, the Superman of power metal albums. The purest and most powerful essence of power metal is packed into the album’s 43-minute length and those 43 minutes render pretty much everything else obsolete. Perfectly executed, the album is full of melody, speed, power and the right kind of metal cheese. It’s an empowering album that pummels pussies, grindlovers and closet power metal fans into true, proud men with big penises!

“Hey man! What is this?!
Sounds like wail of a wimp
Did you let loser side take command?!
Where’s the warrior in you
And the spirit he got
You say – “lost”
No! It’s somewhere inside”

After a disarming beginning of “Quickening” (an intro of sorts) and “Heart of Storm”, “Sworn in the Metal Wind” kicks up the gear up into eleven, directing Manowar to shut the fuck up, skip the foreplay and pay attention to things far more important: You, me, them, us, we! It’s the ultimate metal song that, if there’s any justice in the world, will go down in history as one of the greatest heavy metal anthems ever conceived. The track is true to its name, it’s the turning point where we all pledge our allegiance to Heavy-fucking-Metal – and to our true selves!

“If you once tasted treason from a female – leave that!
Every warrior has a gash on his sword
Don’t forget you are metal, not some ass-kissing whore
Take some under your wings, but she must kiss the ring!“

What follows is a collection of songs that never let up, that never give up and that never fail the listener. From the rocking “World Through my Fateless Eyes” to the 9-minute epic “Kingdom of My Will”, there are no weak links to the album. Even the album’s ballad can’t be spelled without ‘balls’ as “Perfect Warrior”, absorbs good qualities from Angel Dust and out comes a song worthy to stand in between the much faster songs.

As mentioned, Lost Horizon plays godly. Preternatural Transmogrifier (drums) and Cosmic Antagonist (bass) provide a top notch galloping backbone to the act, and while Transcendental Protagonist’s soaring guitars and wonderful solos pierce through earth, wind and fire straight into the listener’s very existence, it’s Ethereal Magnanimus’ commanding, clear voice that raise Awakening the World and Lost Horizon undeniably god-like. What a voice! What a band! What an album! As for the reissue, I didn’t hear any drastic changes—if any—to the original.

Unfortunately, even Lost Horizon’s follow-up, A Flame to the Ground Beneath (released two years later in 2003), couldn’t live up to the debut’s legacy and not soon after, power metal began its exodus from the limelight towards the undergrounds of The North.

However, the biggest scrutiny I have towards the album—not that it’s the album’s fault—is the fact that not everyone is ready to take in the weight and power of Awakening the World. Many will falter, more will die but those strong and fortunate enough to hear, see, live through the experience and understand the light will forever carry on far improved.

 

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