HORN - Retrograd

Release date Mar 9/18 (Iron Bonehead)

Horn's latest opens with the acoustic folk of 'Retrograd-Einleitung' inviting you to pull up a chair for a listen. The first track proper ('Retrograd') follows, enveloping you in a triumphant mid-tempo advance reminiscent of Rotting Christ's 'Triarchy of the Lost Lovers', slowly winding down to a soft violin conclusion. Another short respite follows, acoustic guitar and moaning choral vocals accompanied by the sound of rain, which perfectly leads into the next two tracks. 'BocksfuB' and 'Garant' proceed through several mood changes, from up-tempo piercing guitar blackness to lulled acoustic guitar refrains, complete with guttural German language vocals. The 27-minute mini-LP then ends with the appropriately titled 'DeEinder', a violin-led death march with gothic vocals, bringing the release to a mournful conclusion.

Epic in its grandeur and delivery, Horn's Retrograd is catchy pagan black metal that effectively marries folk and goth elements with blackened metal. Fans of Falkenbach should check this out.

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