Oh, boy! How do I love a song that starts with an open and large scream given from the very depts of the lungs with all the rage possible. The fan feels totally embraced by a dark force that haunts seeking for any kind of revenge. I say any kind of revenge because it does not matter to the tormented souls who’s to blame. Revenge itself is a relief. The horrific mood Horrenda create from the beginning torments the unadvised fan who dares to expect a modern Extreme Metal band that bounces their aggressive tendencies to some melody. Except for some breaks or some keyboards here and there, melody is something that simple does not exist in Horrenda‘s music. There is only a constant pounding hammering in the fan’s head without any mercy or pity.
My dear fan that goes for the band’s name Horrenda that addresses to Gothic Metal or even Symphonic Metal will be surprised with “Díoltas‘”bone-crushing music. Regarding to this music, “Díoltas” has absolutely nothing to do with those Metal genres. The album is primordial with a straight-ahead musical direction, but, hold your horses, by straight-ahead musical direction I do not mean raw or poor production or music writing. It is the other way around. Horrenda opted for a low-fi production for style reasons. The music writing is as complex as any other modern Extreme Metal. Pay close attention to the bass lines of “Doom Tranquility.” “Díoltas” is a gut yanking album with songs that will mess with the fan’s mind. Arron “Nomad” O’Shaughnessy’s demented vocals and the extreme buzz of Mark “Morrdok” O’Brien and Cormac “Desolatus” Jordan’s guitars give the fan a headache. There are no guitar leads that could give some form of melody. As I said, melody is the thing that lacks in the album. And on purpose. Horrenda‘s intent is to create a constant and restless atmosphere of fear as modern life in a big city gives the fan. There absolutely no moment of real peace.
I started this review saying that this album is for the tormented souls who seek for revenge. The music Horrenda produce here intends to pass all the horror within the daily lives of sinners as we all are as opening track “Balor” suggests. The band gave its best in creating an atmosphere as I felt reading books as Fiódor Dostoiévski’s Crime and Punishment. A constant torment.
Horrenda “Díoltas” will be released on May 30th via Fiadh Records.
1. Balor
2. Dian
3. AxeWound
4. Díoltas
5. Craven X Horrenda
6. Doom Tranquility
7. Shot at Dawn
8. Nerve Gas
9. Primordial Knowing
10. Sluagh
Watch “Doom Tranquility” official music video here:
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!