Yheri

The second full-length from the Italian black metallers Hornwood Fell offers a pretty decent blast of atmospheric black metal that really manages to hold itself really well. Like the majority of genre bands here, this one tends to revolve around a type of swirling tremolo-influenced riff-work that firmly recalls true black metal aesthetics but is played more for melody and atmosphere as the looseness around which they draw up their compositions makes for quite a far-reaching and more melodic sensibility here than otherwise would be afforded based on the rhythms and patterns produced. That riffing here certainly keeps this one for the most part up-tempo and engaging with plenty of strong and worthwhile riffs that range from the utterly ferocious to the calming and melodic as the varied tempos are utilized throughout here quite effectively which is helped in strong part by the dynamic drum-work here. Keeping the rest of the rhythms in check as this one certainly goes for the double-blasts pounding so often featured here or in simple, hard-hitting rhythms it carries along just enough to be worthwhile as well as in keeping with the tone and spirit of the rest of the songs. That though seems to be the album’s sole weak point here, in that it seems to follow conventions so well that despite how competent the songs appear and how well-written they are as there’s not too much dull-spots throughout here, the fact that it’s just so familiar in how it goes about attacking here that it seems more like listening to dozens of other acts out there without too much to distinguish themselves beyond the competency featured throughout here. it’s the lone mark but a big one, as otherwise this one is quite a bit of fun.

For the most part the album remains consistent here and the first half is no exception. Intro ‘Walking in the Woods’ opens with a droning mark before blasting into utterly frantic blasting drum-work and full-throttle tremolo-styled riffing with discordant clanging flowing throughout the mid-section as the turnover back into the atmospheric riffing carries on through into the finale gives this a somewhat enjoyable opening. ‘The Encounter’ uses a pounding series of swirling tremolo-picked patterns and steady, driving series of drum-blasts that whip through an up-tempo series of scalding riff-work that features a strong set of dark rhythms that hold the grand tremolo riffing clanging along into the final half for a pretty strong and enjoyable effort. The epic ‘At His Awakening’ works in blasting drum-work against the swirling tremolo-picked patterns running through a series of frenzied, up-tempo blasts with a strong series of dynamic rhythm changes that keeps the strong riffing at the center of the rhythm changeovers as a strong melodic trinkling carries this through the pounding finale for the album’s overall highlight work. ‘The Snowstorm’ offers a simplistic tremolo riff that blasts through frantic drum-work that kicks the energy up from the mid-tempo riffing as the tremolo patterns soon follow through the frenzied tempos working in melodic accents against the blazing, urgent tempos featured into the final half for a nice, quicker blast that’s quite enjoyable.

The second half here is pretty consistently on-point with the first part. ‘The Rebellion’ features a swirling riff-work and rather fine, simplistic drumming attack with a similarly simplistic attack carrying on through the first half as the chaotic tremolo-picked rhythms and distorted patterns thumping along as the pounding drum-work carries the swirling rhythms through the finale for another fine stand-out offering. Likewise, ‘The Other Generated’ utilizes a long, drawn-out droning riff before slowly segueing into a series of ferocious tremolo rhythms and blasting drum-work that works in rather nicely dexterous drumming alongside the scalding tremolo patterns blasting away along the restrained atmospheric notes bristling through the final half for an incredibly enjoyable highlight. The instrumental interlude ‘These Trees Are Watching’ offers a simple acoustic guitar going off throughout with plenty of fine neoclassical notes throughout that lead nicely into ‘Them’ as the plodding guitar riffs continue on into overlong patterns of light atmospheric trinkling with the slow integration of pounding drumming and swirling tremolo patterns in rousing tempos are halted with drops back into the light atmospheric guitar-work that continually repeats itself into the final half for a rather bland finish to this.

Though there’s nothing really much new or overall creative about this endeavor, it’s certainly enjoyable enough to make for a worthwhile part of any fan of the genre or certainly those looking for more than just the usual darkness and Satanic vibes usually associated in black metal in general.