Horna – Pimeyden Hehku
I’m almost ashamed to say it but this EP was the first time I have heard Horna. I’ve heard of them and noticed them at the periphery of my blinkered Black Metal radar but never actually had them interfere with my ear drums. Until now. If the best things come to those who wait then this is proof.
I had no idea what to expect when I chucked the CD into the drawer and slid into my headphones. I was pleased with a nice backward recorded riff, always a bonus. It morphed effortlessly into a forward riff that sounded exactly the same as the backwards one. Is it possible to play a backwards riff forwards but still sound like a backwards riff? It doesn’t matter anyway, the sound of raw, crisp, high tuned guitars blaring and casting its own intense ice cold atmosphere brought my attention back to the music.
Cold, fast and grim it goes with the vocalist screaming for Olympic gold. The production grabbed me instantly: minimalistic and raw with plenty of treble to give it that pure death kamp feel. There’s so much happening at the beginning I felt like a rabbit stuck in the middle of a wall of death motorbike show because it sounds like there are about 10 guitar players all doing their own thing!
I realised how inventive and talented the music was and I bollocked myself for not having heard Horna before. How could my ears have been so blind? Just looking at their Metal Archives page freaks me out because the law of averages has been totally ignored. Since their formation in 1993 its obvious they haven’t slept once at all in those 16 years because they’ve had 36 releases! 36!!!! That makes Abigor and Marduk look like narcoleptic pensioners.
Getting back to the EP it’s not all high pitched stuff though as there is a sprinkling of really well thought out heavier passages. These take a back seat though because the higher stuff is so excellently executed and interesting, needing neither blazing speed nor massive distortion for support. If that wasn’t enough they are really catchy in their spikey grimness. The singing is raw gruesome necro screaming and the drums are fully functional.
Through the whole 20 minutes of the CD Horna’s musical talent is obvious and now I understand why they have so many hardcore underground fans. Simply because this is hardcore underground Black Metal at it’s evil best. This comes highly recommended for those who like it raw and nasty.
I admit I was more than a little sceptical when I got a request to review this Italian band. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a band that sounded more like some American gospel singers than satanic Black Metal! Thankfully after literally one second of listening my somewhat ridiculous assumptions were raped and pillaged [...]
I only recently discovered Rahu, who purvey original and very replayable Finish Black Metal of the highest calibre. This is a demo from 2008 that has since been released as part of a best of featuring this and their other demo on one CD. Although there are only three tracks delivering a mere seventeen minutes [...]
awesome band, tons of great albums.. Haudankylmyyden Mailla is my fave of theirs.. you should check also Musta Surma if you haven’t yet..
Yes Horna’s been haunting my ears all this while..what can I say..Raw,Nasty plus yummy stuff.and yes Misan,Musta Surma is great.their 97′ demo is enough to kill me..magnificent piece of art.
My personal favourite from this Ep – “Verisellä Ovella”. Shatraug is pure genuis.
mine is ‘Kirotun Käden Kosketus’. I believe this is one of the best EPs of recent Black Metal.