HORIZON (Patrick Hemer)

Melodic rock meets metal in Horizon, a very talented band and thanks to Batttttty for the contact!

1. What are you currently up to? (e.g. touring/studio,etc.)

Well, our latest album, "Worlds Apart" was released on March 29th and on April 21st (2004) in Japan and we finished the promotion campaign in June, just a few weeks ago. Since then, we've already started working on new material, and personally I've also been quite busy putting together a pretty respectable recording facility in my house that will be dedicated to future Horizon recordings.

2. Brief history of the band and the style of music you play.

I had already worked with Krissy, our drummer, on several projects, in bands and as studio musicians, we were good friends and we both believed that we could make it together. So, by the end of '98, when Krissy, who had also worked as a sound engineer, finished building his own recording studio, we thought that this would be the way to produce ourselves as a band in complete freedom. That's when we started working for Horizon and looking for other band members. It took us about one year and a half to complete our first album, bits by bits, everytime our backing musicians activities or other studio jobs left us a little time off, and we got signed to Massacre Records in 2001. As far as our music is concerned, let's say that it's very powerful and melodic at the same time. It's definitely metal but we try to show that you can be powerful without having to refuse any kind of finesse, and also that you can be musical without getting soft or pompous.

3. Who was/is are the biggest influences on your career?

You know, we've had so many different, big influences that it would be very difficult to sort out the most important ones. In fact, on the one hand, we all grew up with the hair bands and the virtuoso playing of the shred era, and this is what built our common metal background, but, on the other hand, we all studied music in our respective fields, experimented playing with blues or jazz or whatever bands, and had to adapt to very diverse musical styles when we were making a living as hired guns and I think that Horizon wouldn't be exactly the same if we had missed only one of all these influences.

4. What has been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?

The highlight was the incredible feedback we received from all over the world as soon as "The Sky's The Limit" was released. The lowpoint was when we wasted half a year working on the "Worlds Apart" vocals with two successive singers who both turned out to be very disappointing in the end.

5. What would Horizon like to achieve ideally by the start of 2005?

The best thing for us would be to finally find the lead singer we've been looking for for a long time already. This would allow us to go on tour and meet our public everywhere because we actually crave it now. That's why I take the opportunity to encourage any serious applicant to contact us and send his demo through our website www.horizonsite.net . No timewasters!

6. How have the reviews to the 'World's Apart' CD been so far? Have the band any more recording plans for this year?

I generally don't read reviews because the only opinion I'm interested in is the public's. I know that our Japanese record company told us that the Japanese media loved the album and I've also heard some tremendous comments from guys I've done interviews with, which is always nice, but it's much more heartwarming for me to talk to enthusiastic and supportive fans because we play music for the people who listen to it just because they like it and not for those who listen to it because they have to do their job. Even if my altruistic side can feel some kind of satisfaction in making some of them enjoy doing their job from time to time. As far as the recording plans go, we may start recording new stuff this year but this won't lead to a new album before 2005.

7. What has been the live highlight(s) for the band? How easy/hard is it to get gigs and promotion for gigs?

For the moment, our live highlight was when we thought we had found a singer and that we could play the festivals in the summer of 2004. Talk about crushed hopes! We're lucky enough to be signed to a supportive label that would make it easy for us to get gigs. So now, we just need to find the right guy to make up the band line-up, go on tour, and then I will come back to tell you about our live highlights.

8. Do you see the interest in rock & metal music growing in the UK at the moment?

I don't live in the UK so I cant't really talk about that, all I can say is that I haven't seen a new big British heavy rock band appear on the international scene in a long time. At the same time, that's good news for us because this situation may prompt the best British singers to try their luck with Horizon.

9. What's the most rock 'n' roll moment the band has had so far?

Recording at Krissy's first studio that had no thermal insulation and was a real cold chamber in the winter and a sauna in the summer could be described as rock'n'roll moments.

10. What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?

"The Sky's The Limit" and "Worlds Apart", both released on Massacre Records should be available at any serious records store. Otherwise, they can also be easily ordered through our website.

11. What made you want to join a band and what do you think you may have ended up doing otherwise?

Well, it seems I HAD to do it! Music is such an important thing in my life I couldn't escape it. And if I hadn't been able to make a living out of it and had ended up doing something else like say, chef or hitman or porn star, for example, then I would have composed music to go with my best performances.

12. Message to your fans?

We thank you for your support and for you patience, and we will do all that it takes to be able to pay you a visit in the near future.