Dark Horizon were founded in September 1996 by keyboard player Alessandro Battini and guitarist Daniele Mandelli and in 1998 they recorded the demo-cd “Legend In Opera”, which was the key to obtain a deal with Underground Symphony label. The first album was recorded between December 1999 and January 2000 at Elfo Studio, but it took a long time to see the light and so the band increased the live-activity joining many power metal festivals with important bands playing in several important pubs. The album, in the meantime, remained in the drawer for more than a year, until Northwind Records published it in November 2001. “Son Of Gods” was remastered by Luigi Stefanini at the New Sin studio in Treviso: eight power metal songs with strong symphonic shades. In May 2001, at the new Elfo Studio in Piacenza, Dark Horizon recorded the cover of Manowar’s “Heart of steel” for a tribute created by Steelborn Records with Majesty, Dark Avenger, Kaledon, Twisted Tower Dire, etc.
With a new line – up (Roberto Quassolo on vocals, Luca Capelli on Drums & Davide Marino on bass) the second album was given to life. “Dark Light’s shades”, has been recorded at Elfo-studio in Tavernago (Piacenza) by Daniele Mandelli between October 2003 and May 2004 and mastered in the great Gate & Pathway studios of Wolfsburg (Germany) by Sascha Paeth, producer of Rhapsody, Angra, Edguy, Shaman. “Dark light’s shades” is a ten-track melodic heavy metal album, with power/symphonic and prog rock 70’s / 80’s influences. A quartet of strings has participated to the recording and the arrangements have been made with the collaboration of the famous Italian arranger Massimo Braghieri. The lyrics have epic & historic themes such as the trilogy of Hannibal, the carthaginian hero. In May 2005 Dark Horizon did the first tour in Germany and in October 2005 the band played in Italy with Royal Hunt. In March 2006 the band went to Germany for a new tour, between which a famous festival Headbangers Night.
The third album has been recorded in September 2007 at famous Finnvox Studios (Helsinki, Finland) by Daniele Mandelli and Arto Tuunela (HIM’s producer). “Angel Secret Masquerade” contains ten songs of melodic heavy metal, like Masterplan and Angra, whit a collaboration of a quartet of strings and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studio. The album was released by the Italian label Underground Symphony in july 2010. In spring 2012 they published “Dark Light Shades Deluxe Edition”, double – cd to celebrate Dark Horizon's 15th anniversary. The album contains a new edition of “Dark Light Shades”, with rarities, a bonus track and the live cd “Dark Live Shades”, recorded during second German tour. A new artwork is released by Alexandra Back (Kamelot, Adagio, Operatika).
The new album, "Aenigma", was released in 2018,