To begin with, I would like to offer you a slightly longer quote from the founder of the band, whose new album I would like to say a bit about. Let's begin: "(…) In the summer of 2024, Mike (drummer) and I spent every Monday in the mountains of northern Utah, USA, armed with cold drinks, a fishing rod, and a guitar. We spent countless hours by a lake in the Uinta Mountains, talking about life, the universe, and everything else. (…) During our conversation, I sat with guitar in hand and let my fingers find their way to a melody that felt appropriate in the context of our conversation. And that's how most of the songs on this album were born. For me personally, these songs were a look inside myself. An introspection of my past, present, and future. An attempt to put into words my feelings about my religious upbringing and my gradual shift away from organized religious beliefs over the past decade. I didn't write these songs with the intention of drawing people away from their religion, but rather to encourage listeners to look outside the bubble they were born into and appreciate all the amazing possibilities this world offers. Writing, recording, and performing these songs brought me immense joy. I sincerely hope they bring even a little joy to someone else." After a quote like that, I can only blame myself for feeling sorry that I received this album so late. I have nothing to justify myself, except perhaps the words I've already allowed myself to write several times on MLWZ.pl – "My 'contacts' with prog metal, metal music, etc., are not frequent, rather rare, but when they do happen, then...". However, in the case of Advent Horizon's latest release, "Falling Together," this metalness is so artfully combined with the unconventional that I'm doubly ashamed, ashamed of the musical neglect. And this album has invaded every possible player like an army storming the enemy's most heavily guarded positions. Because it has power, delicacy, fire, growl, synths, and... a very noble and atmospheric vocal, or rather, two vocals. Compared to the band's previous album, released in 2023 ("A Cell to Call Home"), there have been some lineup changes, which, I think, have had very significant consequences. A vocalist, Kristen McDonald, was added to the lineup from the previous album. Much like Lee Douglas from Anathema, she transformed the band's musical image into something truly unique, incredible, and beautiful. please add other adjectives if you decide to listen to this album carefully and like it.
But let's start seriously.
„When my thoughts are realigned / And with my conscience redesigned / I’ll return / And redefine” – this is a tiny fragment of the third verse of the first track, "In A Lone And Dreary World." It's also a clue to what this album is about.
This first composition from the album "Falling Together" is nineteen minutes long. Nineteen minutes that, if you choose to listen, will change the way you look at music. It will prove that it is possible to reconcile multiple musical worlds, not just worlds... universes, in a single composition in an incredibly professional, musically perfect, and arrangementally unique manner. For nineteen minutes, the band leads us down such intricate paths that it's impossible to predict what will happen next, impossible (as is often the case) to predict the subsequent arrangement structure. The same applies to the content. This suite is a coming to terms with oneself, an attempt to come to terms with one's own thoughts, beliefs, and... faith. This moment may raise a lot of controversy, because the author of the lyrics and also the main "culprit" of the confusion entitled "Advent Horizon" - Rylee McDonald (guitar, vocals, lyricist, the group's driving force) - doesn't mince his story about a religious childhood and subsequent denial of religion, which, please don't confuse with faith. By analogy, one might say that if Mr. Neal Morse is a neophyte proclaiming the need for faith in its religious and communal dimensions, then Rylle McDonald is a proponent of its constant redefinition. If Morse is "for," then McDonald is a proponent of the constant question mark. I invoked Neal Morse here for a reason, as "In A Ione And Dreary World" is a near-symphonic suite, though not in the style of Spock's Bear or Transatlantic, to which we are somewhat accustomed. It's a djent-synth suite with cleverly blended vocal lines enriched with prog-metal and dark-metal threads, and at the same time full of almost ambient interludes, though a growl is also audible. But what else could one expect from a song that deals with faith? It's also a very strong start to an album that could contend for one of the best albums of the year.
“Faith is a window / We can't look through / But I'm addicted to you / It's only a halo / The anchor that I know / I'm willing to let” - – this is another, out of context, fragment of the chorus of the second composition from the album – "Faith's Window".
Faith isn't a window through which one sees what's out there... at the end of everything. Faith is action, the ability to make decisions, the foundation of trust. Does faith connect with religion...? Probably, but this review isn't a theological-philosophical treatise, merely an attempt to encourage you to listen to an album that won't leave you alone. "Faith's Window" is like an ocean of peace after "In a Ione and Dreary World." It's an incredibly epic, rock-infused story about redefining faith. It's an incredibly melodic track, beautifully crafted with wonderful two-part vocals. Of course, there are sharper, guitar-driven moments, but isn't redefining faith a "jagged" process? So what if, halfway through the third minute, you hear a dramatic growl and a slightly more metallic guitar solo? It's this moment, along with the magnificent, somewhat counterpointing growl that follows, and Kristen's vocal performance, that makes everything shine with true beauty.
„Patience / Is part of a laundry list / Of traits I don’t possess / It’s nothing to pretend / I want it all / I want to take what’s left” – these are the words with which the song “Patience” begins.
This track is a solid rock track with intricately woven acoustic verses. A bit frantic, it's incredibly harmonic, with a catchy chorus and captivating vocal duets. The progressive metal musical pursuit is fully on display, albeit played with melodic restraint. And to top it all off, we get a remarkably unconventional electronic ending.
„You're tired of your own skin / You’re not fooling anyone / Least of all yourself / And you’re hanging on to / A past-life parable” – this is the beginning of the fourth composition entitled "Past Life Parable".
After the prog-metal madness, "Past Life Parable" – the album's first released single – is an incredibly melodic song with a show-stopping vocal line, uniquely supported by a guitar that simply enchants with incredible riffs. The only description that comes to mind is that it's a perfect serving of hard rock enriched by incredible djent guitar and improvising synths.
Don't be fooled by the acoustic opening of the instrumental track "Gravity I." This classic opening is merely a preview of the almost ambient composition that appears in the second minute, which, like a march and conquering successive levels of emotional involvement, transforms into rock expression, simultaneously serving as an introduction to "Gravity II."
„We could take your mind off the pain / You could step outside of your brain / And say to the monster inside / You don’t own me” - – the chorus of the song “Gravity II” is a rebellion.
It's a rebellion against everything we've believed in so far, a moment to question all that's sacred. It's a time for a leap into disbelief, the beginning of a new faith. It's five minutes of rebellious metal momentum, yet it doesn't sound metal at all. Yes, the song utilizes all the typical metal arrangement tricks, simultaneously weakening their power through delicate vocals and "strange-sounding" keyboards. This metal track simmers in the fire of an ambient flame, only occasionally breaking its delicate leash to thunder with the full power of rebellious instruments.
And just when it seems that total rebellion is the culmination of this album, the final track, "Animals," appears, teasing with its delicacy, tempting with its gentleness and acoustic sound, and seductive with its guitar solo.
„All roads must lead to / The final bend / Draw narrow / As they near an end / And as we look back / On the miles we have worn / We’ll see the beauty of it all” – “Animals” is a calming track and, on the other hand, a disturbingly sad summary of the album.
Full of delicate guitar sounds and one of the best solos, this track brings this album to a subdued close, a story about finding oneself through rebellion against everything, especially rebellion against faith. Everything has an end… or rebellion too…? How long can one rebel…? This five-and-a-half-minute composition guarantees moments of silence, a musical reconsideration of the album's many emotions. The crossing of stylistic boundaries and the blending of sounds from diverse musical styles ensures that every moment spent listening to this release will be an incredibly engaging journey.
"Falling Together" is an incredible journey characterized by immense musical power combined with incredibly intelligent delivery. The Advent Horizon band, comprised of Rylee McDonald (lead guitar, lead vocals, main composer), Mike Lofgreen (drums and co-composer), Grant Matheson (guitar, vocals, and keyboards), Cason Wood (bass and keyboards), and Kristen McDonald (additional vocals), has crafted a captivating album. Brimming with vigor, emotion, commitment, and power, the lyrics of each track are characterized by immense emotional complexity, which, along with the intelligent arrangements, makes this one of the best albums of 2026. See for yourself.
And at the very end, another quote from the band's leader's interview – "Over the last decade, I've been analyzing my upbringing and realizing that many of the 'truths' I was taught are carefully crafted beliefs. Although rooted in my own experiences, they revealed how we continue to divide ourselves by religion, politics, and social class – an ongoing 'us versus them' divide. 'Falling Together' is my attempt to capture these reflections in song." In my opinion, they succeeded brilliantly.
