BARNABAS SKY – OVER THE HORIZON Release date 22/08/2025 Pride & Joy Music
Reviewed by Spectre Scribe • 13 July 2025
It’s been a while since I did a track-by-track review but when I was sent the new Barnabas Sky album to review, I knew that given the bounty of singer songwriters involved it would have been poor form not to give each of them a line or two. This is the third outing for German multi-instrumentalist Markus Pfeffer and his Barnabas Sky project, and he has once again assembled an outstanding array of vocal talent. There are some returning favourites like Messrs Diebys, Small and Vaughn along with some new faces and voices such as Tony Harnell. Crucially though, unlike other project ventures, Pfeffer encourages each of the singers to weave their own magic when it comes to the lyrics and that means you get artists that emotionally invested in the project from the outset.
In keeping with the previous two releases the opening track goes to the melodic Mount Rushmore’s Danny Vaughn as he once again dips into his lore and legend bag to pen an otherworldly tale. Vaughn has previous for this, a master of lost and forgotten epochs and weaver of ancient epics, he writes the way the ocean moves; rhythmic and rolling with dark currents and a powerful grace. When you add in the composition and musicality of Pfeffer as he weaves his intricate string work around the lyrics, we’re off to a frankly ridiculously strong start.
‘One by One’ is track two and it starts slow and threatening before some tribal drums open the piece up for Hittman’s Dirk Kennedy to shine vocally and Pfeffer to play off the vocals with some huge riffs and solos. ‘Platform of a Star’ is the lead single and it’s easy to see why with its soaringly melodic message of hopes and dreams delivered by the pen and voice of David Cagle, if my musical taste has a sweet spot then this is most certainly it.
In comes the title track of the album ‘Over the Horizon’ and we’re back to a heavier, brooding sound as Deibys Artigas imprints his sonic stamp all over it, brilliant hard rocker with the occasional tempo chance to keep the listener on their toes. The rhythm guitar work underneath the solo ticks another of my sweet spots. After the frenetic finish to the title track, we get a chance to catch our breath as TNT’s Tony Harnell soothes the mood with a gorgeous ballad entitled ‘The Only Way’. It’s everything I want from a rock ballad, heartfelt yet not cliched, big lift and hook into the chorus, subtle use of strings and a solo that ignites from the top of Harnell’s range.
The fabulously entitled ‘Book of Faces’ is up next and it’s a foot stomping mid-tempo rocker from the mind and voice of Cory Lind. Pfeffer again puts his own unique stamp on the solo work, but I’m again drawn to the rhythm work underneath along with killer drumming that anchors the whole thing brilliantly. Lee Small is to the fore on track seven’s ‘Lone Wolf’ and as you’d expect from Small this is melodic hard rock gold. I just love the way this man writes and sings, and this may be my favourite solo on the album.
With Cagle back on singing duties we get another uplifting melodic message on the straight up rocker that is ‘Dreams’ which comes complete with a tremendous driving riff and solo. The penultimate track ‘Fire Falls’ is handled by Vaughn again, this time weaving a warning tale of war whilst Pfeffer plays with a sense of foreboding. In amongst the complexities of Vaughn’s lyrics and Pfeffer’s playing there is a simple descending piano line that ties the whole piece together just wonderfully.
We finish with another of my musical sweet spots, the epic! ‘Scirocco Sands’ is a nine-minute opus that pours the best parts of the previous nine songs into one truly epic ending. All things told ‘Over the Horizon’ is a marvellous collaborative effort that should garner fans from almost every sub-genre rock and metal have to offer. There is most definitely something in there for everyone and the variety offers the listener access to artists that perhaps wouldn’t normally come across your rocking radar.
Much love
SS
