Gorizont (Horizont) - The Portrait of a Boy. 1989 Russia

Everything I said about Summer in Town applies to Portrait of a Boy. The original cheap vinyl pressing that I once distributed due to popular demand, and that the CD is far superior with excellent liner notes.

Life at the tractor plant must have caused a certain kind of insanity, as Gorizont returned with one more flourish at producing a highly creative record. On this effort, Gorizont present us with five tracks, with the last piece adding vocals for the first time. Perhaps even more complex than Summer In Town, this continues the use of ominous fuzz guitar and shifting meters offset by happy melodies. Paradoxes such as this are what make progressive rock such an exciting genre! Comparisons to Uzed era Univers Zero wouldn't be entirely inappropriate - understanding that it's highly unlikely Gorizont were familiar with the Belgian band. Similar conclusions are often drawn from different premises.

CD: 2000 Boheme Music
LP: 1989 Melodiya