The last album I was challenged by from the ever prolific Horna was the absolutely foul and fetid Ääniä Yössä. Thankfully as far as the accessibility of song compositions is concerned Sanojesi Äärelle is a much easier task to dissect. However the Finns are obtuse this time round in a different way. They have always been creative and have over 30 releases to their names but this is an album that simply cannot fit on a single disc and is a double release which clocks in at 85 minutes. Unfortunately a couple of tracks have been faded to fit this on one promo disc which must have been a tough decision to make from a label that would never do anything such as voiceovers or any of those other nasty things record companies do to disrupt their artists work. This has not luckily ruined my enjoyment of the album at all but it has made me put it on the ever expanding, “to be bought at some point” list that I have written in my head.
Luckily although there is quantity in spades here the quality is enforced by a rake of excellent numbers and there is nothing on this double that I would remotely look upon as being filler material. The production strikes instantly as sharp and jagged when the drums and scything guitars hone in on opener ‘Muinaisten Alttarilta’ (the copy and paste functions are in full swing for this review). Corvus’ vocals are at the high end, not quite a distempered shriek but full of disgust and hate. The melody here is excellent and the song seems to roll out, grooving with mid-paced furrows and building up to belt things out like rabid werewolves.
This, it is mentioned was a bit of a spontaneous affair but you would never guess as it feels like a lot of time has been spent constructing these numbers, each of which has distinction once you have got to grips with the overall scope of the release. Slow and grandiose ‘Verilehto’ shimmers and sparkles glistening at times with a frosty nebular expansiveness; you can close your eyes and feel the chilly atmosphere grip your soul and squeeze. The almost plague ridden and rancid odour that Horna are so good at projecting is at full rancour on ‘Mustan Kirkkauden Sarastus.’ Vocals are elongated and find gruffer range and the guitar weave here is at full thorny thrust with an overwhelming and almost cataclysmic pillage flailing around it. So far we are only three songs in and I am pleased to say that this cut and thrust continues leaving you with nothing else to do but grab tight and batten down for the rest of the ride.
I could use the whole journalistic bible of black metal clichéd descriptions that exists for the select few of us initiated to use it if I did a track by track description of these grim sermons. Moving on to the second disc as it is not like I can even expand upon the lyrical out put here, I will say that when the first track on it ‘Liekki Ja Voima’ bites you are in for a bit of a surprise as it is a louder mix and somewhat more cavernous sounding and whereas you were already pushing the bounds of neighbour decency with the volume beforehand, you may want to jump up and turn this down a little. Also whereas the first discs numbers were all around the 4-6 minute mark a couple here come in at 11 (both at volume and running time), so there is plenty of depth and character unfolding within these expansive realms.
If you like proper black metal make no mistake this is an essential release and with the new Archgoat album also about to drop it’s a great time to for filthy Finnish black metal. Now can someone tell me if Sanojesi Äärelle really translates as Satan’s asshole?
http://www.legion-horna.com
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