Kuoleman kirjo

Finnish black metal legends Horna return with their 10th full length album.

Melancholy melodies glisten into fruition upon cascades of cymbals and rolling drums before a super onslaught of chaotic vocal incantations and ferocious riffing pummels us into oblivion, Horna are back. Swirling with murky occultist darkness, the traditional Finnish black metal mastery is naturally present with a black flame of anguishing disdain set firmly in the heart of the crushing musicianship. Malice envelopes you from the off as the warped and primal battery continually dips into melancholy while retaining a savage aggression of unparalleled proportions to conjure a monolith of pure demonic extremity. Packed with groove and a catchy rhythmic side that will draw you in and spew your conscious into hell, it is clear this titan of the black metal world has not faltered in the slightest.

Bestial rampages of daunting guitars and relentless drums continue to lay waste with a slaughtering intensity that is matched by the feral vocals so beautifully in suitably unforgiving fashion. Howling with abyssal visions, there is a staunch tempest of vanquishing soundscapes that feels like some of the strongest from Horna to date. With a massive yet never polished production that suits the ravenous musicianship to perfection, we see all of the discordant nuances of the band while there is utter conviction in the sound. No insincerity or pretence to be found, just pure blistering hellish madness. The melodic side of the music has definitely been refined on this album as it twinkled with similar dissonance to some of the Icelandic bands but definitively stays in that camp of Finnish black metal with unmistakably icy riffs and punchy drums. Betwixt all of this we get a lot of intricate cymbal work akin to Mgla that sharpens the mesmerising, ritualistic riffs and even utilises some clean vocals so gorgeously. Let us hope this level of proficiency is maintained.

Totalling over an hour, one could mistakenly assume there is a lot of filler or time wasting but Horna keep the militant stride marching ever onwards. When one idea stays for a while it is mesmerising but with plenty of flavour and transitions to retain a volatile hostility, insuring the desolate and barren soundscapes do not become remorseful. Each piece is fairly akin to the rest, working as a grander design to punish with its scolding infernos of daunting drums, enchanting riffs and invocation-styled screams. Ranging from grooving mid-tempos to razor-sharp blasting fury and expanding on some slower, more atmospheric pacing, this is some of the most diverse work from Horna to date. Truly elevating the magnificent catalogue into a new and uninhabitable world of cult violence for only the loyal followers to observe.

Horna’s return is with one of the fiercest yet most expansive albums of their career. Delivering us into a desolated world of scolding instrumental aggression and ravenous howls. A new pinnacle in the Finnish black metal world from one of the scenes strongest standing forerunners. This record feels like a culmination of the bands excellent previous albums, revised into an hour (or just over) of pure ecstatic devilish psychosis. A must listen for all black metal fans.

Written for www.nattskog.wordpress.com

Ten albums are an impressive number. Things are even getting more imposing when it comes a tenth full-length with a playtime of more than 67 minutes. That’s the time Horna need to reveal us the full “Spectrum of Death” as the Finnish title promises. Naturally it is no end in itself to produce such a long album, but Horna are experienced enough to guarantee a good quality, regardless of the opulence of the album’s configuration. So take the challenge and join the black metal marathon.

It becomes clear early on that the latest output from the legend from Suomi has a sound which is not too harsh. "Sanojesi äärelle", for example, was certainly more non-conformist, especially in terms of the sound of the guitars. But that doesn't mean that "Kuoleman kirjo" in any way denies the band's origins, style or mindset. The record sounds gloomy, determined and Finnish. Horna are, in common with other long-term activists of the scene such as Azaghal, not willing to leave the field for the myriads of bands to follow without a fight. It is therefore a good thing that the 13 songs represented here are a strong weapon.

There is no intro. Without bordering on musical savagery, Horna start right away with full force and the first climax is not long in coming. The comparatively snappy and catchy guitars in "Elegia" give the piece a nearly magical, or at least almost unforgettable aura. Whereby Horna certainly cannot be reproached for having placed too little emphasis on atmosphere. They prove that you don't necessarily need keyboards for a creepy scenario (without wanting to start a fundamental discussion about this instrument in black metal). Horna rather pick up the thread that Mayhem once performed to perfection on their immortal classic. I don't have to mention the name here... In "Kärsimysten katedraali" they get very close to the title track of Mayhem’s debut in terms of aesthetics, melody and vocal pitch, but unfortunately they do not operate on the same perfect level with regard to quality. Nevertheless, this song is another example for their excellent understanding of natural and pure black metal.

Speaking of the vocals, Horna do not focus on a one-note-approach. Unfortunately, the partially pretty sleepy vocal performance in the comparatively lax seventh track does not add value to the record. Anyway, this remains an exception. Horna offer only a few tiring sequences. Of course, one can argue whether 60 minutes of playing time would not have been enough. But you can always argue, even with your children or girlfriend. Whether that makes life better remains to be seen. Maybe it’s the more pleasant choice to stop discussing and just listen to the whipping drums and the rushing guitars of tracks like “Unohtumaton” or “Mustat vuodet”. Obviously, Horna are not interested in experiments and I like this kind of narrow-mindedness.

The final track closes the album in a solid yet unspectacular way. All in all, Horna do not deliver a groundbreaking new approach. It’s not the album with the fastest, most gruesome or most progressive black metal tracks ever. Yet this was surely not the intention of the band. Instead, “Kuoleman kirjo” writes another (strong) chapter for the Finnish black metal book. That’s good, that’s enough reason to like it.

The five years that passed since the release of Horna's previous album, "Hengen tulet", were in vain for the band. They have changed, albeit a little but still: now they have a more clean production. Of course, the sound on "Kuoleman kirjo" is not "polished", but obviously it is not "raw" (or, if you prefer, "artificially raw") as formerly. For whom it is good and for whom it is bad, but it should be noted that with the new approach, Horna's continuous attack and constant dynamism became more obvious. The music of anger became almost palpable. The illusion even arises that there are no pauses between songs, the album flows from start to finish like a stream of lava – confidently and unshakably. And this despite the fact that the album's duration is (a little) more than an hour. As for the atmosphere, it only benefited from sound changes.

A second change is directly related to the first one, it's adoption of modern black metal elements by Horna. This process may have already started on previous albums, but on "Kuoleman kirjo" it became more obvious – thanks to the clean production. Of course, Horna didn't go over to "the Watain camp", but now it's impossible to say with certainty that a cult is formed around their old schoolness. Yes, as usual good old Norwegian school is recognized now here, now there – even the guitar sound itself, these impeccable guitar roar and power seem to be inspired by "Battles in the North". Nevertheless, it's more correct to talk about a harmonious combination of "old" and "new" black metal on "Kuoleman kirjo". Thanks to this, the album turned out to be very diverse, and almost every song has its own "schtick", "flavor".

Modern black metal is obvious from the very first song, "Saatanan viha", – its structure and presentation have little to do with old school black metal. The composition immediately dazzles with the flow of tremolo picking melodies (ah, "Hengen tulet" was poor in leads, let's put it that way), and the sorcerous effect of these melodies is enhanced by the fact that the lead parts in the left and right channels are played in counterpoint. Awesome start! What else can be cited as an illustration? Well, "Elegia" becomes calm at 3:47, only guitars and vocals give their voices, and then a blast beat section comes in abruptly, supported by a vortex-like riff. This is a very indicative riff – it's more, so to say, Watain "technology" than Gorgoroth. There is a piercing lead in "Sydänkuoro" from 4:23, also rather in a modern manner, – this weird guitar part generates a kind of doomed atmosphere. "Mustat vuodet" also opens with a modern riff rather than an old school one.

"Rakas kuu", which is mostly built on the groovy rhythm sections, can also be classified as a song in the modern black metal genre. At first, this is evidenced by a string-bending riff at 0:43 and 2:11, which, by the way, in its atonality is reminiscent of Inquisition. A groovy riff using a fingerpicking technique at 2:55 and 4:44 also sounds completely non-old school. Again, mostly mid-tempo and very dynamic "Veriuhri" seems to be built mainly according to the laws of modern black metal. This song is distinguished by a tremolo picking lead line at 2:19, which grows and develops rapidly from the tremolo at 0:22, – desperate music, alarmous and oppressive.

The third change is marked improvement of Spellgoth's vocal technique. On "Hengen tulet" and "Askel lähempänä Saatanaa" he probably shouted more than sang. After all such a "style" is not good for the strengthening (let alone creating) of an atmosphere, however, it is good for the strengthening of courage and drive, for example, in punchy punk-like breaks – there were enough of such fragments on "Hengen tulet", well, by and large this is almost a mandatory feature of Finnish black metal. So what's it all about? Modern black metal may be disliked, but it has at least one significant advantage – it does not adapt punk and punk-like elements in its structure. That is why there are no more such fragments on "Kuoleman kirjo". Umph, almost.

For example, in the aforementioned "Sydänkuoro" from 1:59 you can hear something punk both in the riff and in Spellgoth's singing manner, but then from 2:23 a kind of ritual polyphonic singing begins, and this move is more peculiar to modern black metal. Mysteriousness and suspense blustering in this episode. Actually, this slightly melancholic song is one of the most interesting pieces on "Kuoleman kirjo". Also, the last song "Ota minut vastaan" has a groovy riff with a punk feel (0:49-1:13 and 1:38-2:02).

But these are isolated episodes that have little effect on the general atmosphere of the album. After all Spellgoth really sings on "Kuoleman kirjo", he even emotionally emphasizes the transitions between riffs. Notice the alternation of vocals with riffs in "Uneton" at 0:43 – it creates an impressive effect. Very often, Spellgoth's vocal style is reminiscent of Aldrahn's classics. In mid-tempo, but very dynamic and energetic "Elävänä, kuolleena", the parallel with Aldrahn is especially noticeable, check also the vocals at the beginning of "Rakas kuu", "Unohtumaton", and "Pyhä kuolema".

Fast "Kärsimysten katedraali" stands out from the rest of the songs with a dominant riff, vaguely reminiscent of "Buried by Time and Dust", and Spellgoth's vocals make this song even more in the vein of (early) Mayhem. Spellgoth sings very ingeniously here: he screams desperately, croaks, wheezes like a dead preacher, the culmination of his efforts comes at 5:49. This is also one of the best songs on the album.

As for other vocal "flavors", it is worth paying attention to the practice of choral, almost ritual singing: in "Haudattujen tähtien yönä" at 0:34 and 4:17, in "Pyhä kuolema" at 1:27 and 2:34, – very impressive. Also there is a "duel" of harsh vocals with muffled "ritual" vocals to the accompaniment of a piercing tremolo in "Unohtumaton" from 3:13. No less impressive choir (or pseudo-choir) in "Ota minut vastaan" – very emotional singing, overwhelmed and, yes, ritual (0:00 and 1:13). This mesmeric part, by the way, acts as a counterbalance to the "punk" elements noted above. It remains to note that Spellgoth's shoutings-which-were-instead-of-singing are still present in the body of the songs, but in much smaller quantities and now they can be classified more as modern black metal patterns – instead of "punk-ish" daredevilness we got powerful emotional messages, as, for example, in "Mustat vuodet" (1:05 and 2:37).

That's all well and good, but what about the drums on Kuoleman kirjo"? Well, the snare drum is restrained in the mix but always audible, even during the blast-beat sections. However, the kicks have definitely been raised, – if triggers (well, while we're on the subject of modern black metal) were added to them, it's within normal limits. The modern approach to black metal is evidenced by such a seemingly insignificant detail as sporadic hits on the china cymbal throughout the entire album. In the old school, such sounds that stand out in the general atmosphere would not be very appropriate. In its turn, bass guitar is also squashed, it is felt rather than heard. The bass can be clearly distinguished if only at the beginning of "Haudattujen tähtien yönä", where several hard notes are conspicuous. But there is nothing unusual in it.

Let's summarize. There are no experiments or innovative changes here, but these are not expected from Horna. "Kuoleman kirjo" clearly shows that work which would grab attention along its entire length can be created based mainly on tried and tested methods – albeit from different schools. Despite the fact that black metal is often "buried" by this or that person, it does not die precisely thanks to such albums – paying tribute to the classics and at the same time fresh.

The Metal Observer

The Finnish black metal horde Horna needs no introduction. For over two decades these Finns have been widely revered as the flag bearers and trail blazers of modern Finnish black metal, a status the band proves with their prolific and extensive catalogue of albums and smaller releases. And now the band is returning with their long awaited tenth studio album "Kuoleman Kirjo", released by World Terror Committee.

Horna, similar to other long running black metal bands, has had a rotating lineup of musicians, with founder, guitarist, lyricist and main composer Shatraug being the only original member. The current lineup of Horna features long time member and second guitarist Infection who shared songwriting duties with Shatraug for this record, Spellgoth on lead vocals, his brother L.H.R. on drums and fairly new member VnoM on bass. A killer lineup all around, since all members are seasoned veterans of the Finnish black metal scene. As "Kuolema Kirjo" (Translation: The Spectrum of Death) is the band’s newest full length in over 5 years, one could argue the band must've had something special up their sleeves, and indeed the band were seemingly aware of the expectations. Not only is this new record a new direction from their previous opus "Hengen Tulet" but it is also their first double LP since 2009's monumental Sanojesi Äärelle. That being said this album is not a 2-disc 80 minute long monstrosity as Sanojesi Äärelle was, but it is a meaty near 70-minute-long record with a total of 13 tracks, and indeed the band successfully take full advantage of that extended runtime and track list.

In terms of sound, Horna have had significant changes in their music, in their current “era”, (which started when Spellgoth joined as vocalist) the band’s sound can be described as wrathful and somber with some groovy tinges of hard rock and forlorn atmospherics. In this record however (no doubt the influence of Infection's songwriting) the band's music is much more sinister and even ritualistic in places, in some ways the new sound hearkens back to the early days of the band, but at the same time it has the band’s refined and matured songwriting. From beginning to the end the album is relentless and not a single second is wasted, its jaw-dropping how the band was able to have a consistent and substantial record across 13 tracks and under 70 minutes with zero fillers. Songs like 'Saatanan Viha', 'Unohtumaton' and 'Ota Minut Vastaan' feature that classic old school blistering speed and sinister atmosphere, while tracks like 'Sydänkuoro', 'Kärsimysten Katedraali' and 'Rakas Kuu' display the more ritualistic and forlorn sound. Each song is consistent with the last without feeling like a drag or rushed. That is the most unique aspect of it, how consistent it is all around and how the album flows, which is a testament to how well written the songs are and how good the musical composition is as its so easy for an album that exceeds 50 minutes to be overwrought and drawn out, and yet across my 3 sit throughs with this record I never felt bored or numb to the wall of sound.

Another important aspect that made this album outstanding is, of course the musicianship by each member. For the longest time Horna has been steered primarily by Shatraug, which is understandable since it's his creation, but in regards to this album, Horna as a unit has become more tight-knit and unified in their performances. Now that Infection had a larger role, that unitity has become more apparent. Shatraug's vision and conviction remains stronger than ever but it is now shared by his comrades-in-arms. It’s an understatement to say each member are talented musicians. Spellgoth’s vocals are unnervingly intense, L.H.R.'s drumming is hard hitting, fast but also technically proficient, VnoM’s bass work is surprisingly layered and of course Shatraug and Infection are masterclass guitarists and their individual strengths shine together.

Finally, there's the quality of the production. Like with their music, the production on Horna's oeuvre has fluctuated and changed over the years, and this LP is no exception. In fact this is the most polished Horna record to date, which is odd given the band has been celebrated for staying true to the raw and unpolished production of black metal. Even their previous albums with Spellgoth while sounding much cleaner than their albums with Corvus, were still very grimy and fuzz driven. It is worth noting however, given how the music is much more layered and there's more tracks than those previous albums, having a raw and gritty sound would've made the music too much of a strain on the listener, plus the polished sound gave the band ample room to fully display the sinister and ritualistic atmosphere I mentioned before.

Overall Horna continue to be the Finnish black metal luminaries they've long been praised as, and this album both continues their legacy and sees them heading towards a new direction in their Satanic path. But with all that said, it is worth noting that the band don't really reinvent the wheel that much or take significant risks. This is still a quality and ambitious black metal record from a deservedly celebrated band, and they were even able to address and fix the perceived shortcomings of their previous records. When comparing the 3 LP's of the current era of Horna, this is by far the best one yet and easily on par with their best albums, but as it stands it is another good Horna record, and that's about it. But then again, why would anyone want to fix something that isn't broken? Horna never fails to deliver the unholy gospels of Satan himself.

Best tracks: 'Saatanan Viha', 'Unohtumaton', 'Ota Minut Vastaan', 'Sydänkuoro', 'Kärsimysten Katedraali', 'Rakas Kuu'

Originally written for www.MetalBite.com