Horned Almighty - To Fathom the Master's Grand Design

For the ones that aren’t aware, Horned Almighty is another name for the master of darkness, the fallen angel, Abbadon, Angel of the bottomless pit, the one we aren’t allowed to say his name, and many others. To keep it simple, as the names Satan and Lucifer were already taken, the band took this one with joy.

Unlike the name and the album title Horned Almighty “To Fathom the Master’s Grand Design” which are long and complex, the music herein is simple and direct. It’s the pure and straight-ahead Death Metal we all know and appreciate. Guitar riffs and drumming are fast and sharp; vocals are full of anger and despair; the bass makes the sky shakes. Isn’t it everything we ask from a Death Metal band? Straight to eye and direct to it. “To Fathom the Master’s Grand Design” is the rebellion itself with suggestive and creative song titles as well short and direct, but do effective.

“To Fathom the Master’s Grand Design” kicks off in high intensity with the right-to-the-jaw skullcrushing “Violent Cosmology” which does justice to its name. Four minutes of the purest and demonic chant to the patrone of the band who is undoubtedly delighted with it. “Apocalyptic Wrath” follows it directly giving the fan no opportunity to breath. It maintains the same alucinating and dazzling cadence of the first track. There is no doubt that Horned Almighty mean it. Tracks as “Antagonism Eternal” go ahead and speed up a little more using the well-known machine gun drumming which is broken by a hair greying and teeth shaking slow passage. A song with so many ups and downs in speed should receive an award. Majestic instrumental work. The kind of song that gives the drummer the opportunity to show everything he’s got. “Devouring Armageddon” is a little bit more cadenced with the already familiar devilish beauty that is a milestone to this album. Here we have a band that really means it and don’t fool around. Why writing songs of more than ten minutes long? Horned Almighty respond it briefly with eight songs no longer than five minutes which are enough to pass the message – from their point of view. “To Fathom the Master’s Grand Design” honors the old school masters with touches of modernity which spices it a lot giving the fan the opportunity to achieve how 1980’s classics would sound. As a matter of fact, they do sound here. No need to wonder.

Here we have one more band that does justice to its name.

Horned Almighty “To Fathom the Master’s Grand Design” will be released on January 17th via Scarlet Records.

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