HORNA
HORNA “Nyx—Hymnejä Yōlle”
By Dr. Abner Mality
HORNA, like MARDUK and 1349, are one of those rock solid black metal bands you go to when you need a dose of the real thing. They hold fast to the black metal traditions of the early 90’s and there is arguably no band that sounds more like a cold Finnish winter than these guys.
This new album sees the band going in a more epic direction, with long, droning songs that depend on repetitive icy riffs coming at you in waves like a blizzard. Do they take the repetition too far? There’s the rub...that will depend on each listener. We have here six tracks in total, five of which are simply known as “hymns” and the last of which is an extremely peculiar acoustic ballad. Yes, I know that last sounds very much out of character for HORNA and indeed it sticks out here like a sore thumb, but it does have a haunting feel to it. Is it HORNA? I would say no.
The other five tracks are more in line with what we know. I’d venture to say that “Hymni I” is an archetypal black metal track...this is the violent, buzzing sound that captured the metal world in the 90’s. The repetition here creates an extremely hypnotic effect that draws you in. You can’t get more raven-like than the croakings of singer Spellgoth. “Hymni II” still has cold speed and power, but is more composed in its darkness. “Hymni 3” is almost DISSECTION-like in its catchiness, but still HORNA all the way. There are layers in the songwriting here. “Hymni IV” is fast and violent, with intense drum battery from LRH. “Hymni V” sounds almost too familiar, like something we’ve heard many times before, although Spellgoth’s vocal are really tortured and tormented. The record wraps up with the oddball ballad “Kuoleva Lupaus” which goes too long and is too far out of the HORNA catalog.
“Dependable” is how I would describe this album. Pure Finnish darkness…