Review Summary: A forgotten album but a grand adventure.
Lost Horizons is a one-shot album released under the moniker of Luca Turilli’s Dreamquest. To create some buzz for the album, the lead singer was a mystery under wraps, whom was gradually revealed. Certainly an interesting tactic for advertising the album, though sadly, it never received that much attention. Fast forward to 2023 where this album is a hidden gem. It is time for a brief look into the past.
Lost Horizons was an ambitious album. It mixes the symphonic metal style of Nightwish, Xandria, and After Forever, and infuses dance club drum beats and ultra futuristic (at the time) techno synthesizers. A memorable example of this is the opening track Virus, which is a banger. The album is an odd formula of The Matrix, ABBA, and neoclassical, symphonic metal. Adding to the cheese, operatic vocals are included. The end result is somewhat gothic, and the lovely, impactful vocals of Bridget Fogle are the highlight. The singer’s only foray with the symphonic metal scene was memorable and in collaboration with Luca Turilli. Her vocals are easily as powerful as Floor Jansen, though that’s no easy feat.
What sinks the album is its generic, outdated tone. Despite a fairly unique motif in its gently present (not fully stirred in) electro-goth vibe, the album is overwhelmingly routine symphonic metal. The disco synths meet fairly rudimentary riffs in certain tracks creating a poppy experience. Other tracks have a more bombastic symphonic energy, but still, the riffs are seemingly an afterthought. Compared to bands like Xandria and After Forever, this album appears a tad try-hard. The cheesy, ancient sounding synthesizers and simplistic chugging guitars often don’t cut it. It’s a shame, because what’s great here is truly fantastic. With a handful of unforgettable choruses, and epic, fantasy movie type moments, there’s a solid selection of standout moments. Your enjoyment of this album will depend on your tolerance for generic symphonic metal. For those people, it will be worth a gander to explore this cheesy, fun album.
