Search - Horna :: Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne

Sounds of the [Finnish] underground; 4.5

See about me | North | 04/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Horna is an extremely prolific band, with over 30 releases of various limited EPs and splits, but this album is easily their most complete work. Hardships were faced in the making of Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne, reflected in its intensity and spitefully ambiguous melodicism. I've heard somewhere that the best art is derived from pain, which seems to hold true here.



Horna's tight arrangements stick out immediately, transcending typical raw BM fare by utilizing oft-used folk influences; more to enhance the song structures, than to have an excuse to add Nordic chanting and other such cheese. Subtle, discordant melodies bloom over grinding black metal passages like a burning aurora in the night sky, evoking images of icy Scandinavian battlefields. Corvus screams not so much like a homicidal maniac, but a tortured spirit telling of his unfortunate past. This album ranks up there with classics like Storm of the Light's Bane and Blizzard Beasts. Recommended.

- Thus says the Pellington"