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An album that puts the hair back on the chest of today's Metal.-
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| The Horde: Thy Blackened Kingdom
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Speed Metal, Thrash Metal
Stormspell Records
August 3rd, 2011
- Death Foretold - 5:08
- Thy Blackened Reign - 4:53
- Hell Beast of the Pale Frost - 6:11
- Odin' Blood - 4:16
- Into War We Ride - 4:42
- Super Tusk - 4:04
- War God - 6:20
- A Kingdom Cries - 1:50
- Vengeance for a King - 5:06
- With Death (Comes the HORDE) - 6:14
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| Review Information |
Release length: 48:46
Review posted on June 26th, 2011
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| | Overall Score: 6.5/10 |
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| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
The Blackened Kingdom (2011)
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| EP(s): |
From Empire to Ashes (2008)
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| Review |
The Horde formed back in 2006 and hails from many different areas of Iowa in the United States. The band isn't really a well known act outside of their area, but managed to release a debut EP entitled From Empire to Ashes back in 2008. This EP was strong enough to catch the attention of Stormspell Records for an full-length overseas recording. Thy Blackened Reign marks the first full-length offering from the Speed/Thrash Metal powerhouse, and their tales of epic and legendary battles with demons, viking lore, and other related topics sets the stage for an album that is guaranteed to put hair on the chests of all strong willed men (and women) brave enough to listen.
Of course, such a strong collection of tales is bound to have it's problems. Thy Blackened Reign has some fantastic Speed and Thrash Metal tracks that are well worth investing time into to experience. But one of the main gripes towards this effort is, sadly, the production, but right away it becomes clear that it's something that should have been averted. Clearly taking isues from early Speed Metal and even NWOBHM acts, the music feels right at home for a band of muscle bound loin-cloth wearing barbarians spreading word of the vikings and other beings on the land. The production quality is a little raw for the most part in the guitars and vocals, though still comes across like it was recorded in a modern day studio through a digital process. The drums, however, sound absolutely atrocious, and that's something that becomes pretty clear right away. The cymbols are a little weak, the snares sound alright, but the bass kicks sond like simple higher pitched thuds that easily get swept up and lost in the mix when the music picks up in an epic performance, or just blistering pace. Of course they become pretty obvious during the tracks that chug along or have slower parts, and while the drumming itself captures the spirit of early Metal bands well to work with this album, the sound quality of the kit just doesn't work out well at all for the album, a rather big let down against such heavy guitars and suiting rhaspy vocals.
Aside what sounds like some problems in the recording phase of the album with the drum kit, the music also doesn't come off quite that rich, but it's something that can be overlooked for the most part. Not every song on here manages to whip the listener into a frenzy, though many do it with ease, or at least have some moments to them that instantly kick up the intensity level of the recording. The recording starts off this way with "Death Foretold", which isn't too bad a song, having a decent mixture of early Thrash Metal and hints of NWOBHM acts, as if blending together the aggressive nature of Venom with the more over-the-top epic sound of Iron Maiden with a more modern Viking Metal vibe to the material. This song has some very interesting moments, though not all of the song captures the listener's attention, such as the main verses, but the epic and catchy chorus, as well as the bass heavy epic closing of the track really makes it memorable and will pull listeners back to it many times over. The same goes with "Thy Blackened Reign" which, on first listen, feels a little rocky, mostly due to that rawer production quality mixed with pure Speed Metal and random Thrash Metal moments, but the chorus again rings in a very heavy epic musical approach that ties those fast paced intense verses together in a way that grabs the listener and starts backing their head for them if they aren't already.
One of the reasons the chorus of these and many other songs become so catchy, outside the concentration of epic music at that point in many of the songs, is the simpler lyrical approach that often hits. "Thy Blackened Reign", for example, is nothing more then the title of the song repeated over and over. But due to the rather epic yet simple music, it works out well for the song and allows it to stick out. Of course this isn't with every song, so in no way does it get to be too patterned, and by that I mean not every song has an epic sounding chorus. Many just have a simpler chorus sound with the vocals that repeat the song title. This does become a little stale after a while, especially by the time you hit "Odin's Blood", which is only the fourth song into the album.
So, with the drumming issues, the constantly patterned simpler chorus sections, and some rockier music that doesn't quite stand out until the epic passages on some songs, this can't be a good album, right? Actually, Thy Blackened Reign is far from a bad release, granted it does get a little boring after a while. The old-school Metal vibe from the album stands out nicely with the music, and there are still some songs on here that do manage to benefit from it. "Thy Blackened Reign" becomes the most memorable track off the album thanks to it's Speed Metal verses and epic Heavy Metal inspired chorus that will be lodged in your brain for days. "War God" becomes a rather impressive six minute plus track that captures an early Heavy Metal vibe well with the general manly true Metal approach that perfeclty suits the lyrical content of the song. "Hell beasty of the Pale Frost" also has a darker sound and a more sinister, even melancholic atmosphere to it at times and reflects the title of the song well, including it's lyrical content. The chorus is spaced out a bit due to the long title, so it sounds a little different as well, though the music to it is much simpler. There's even the instrumental "A Kingdom Cries" that presents a sorrow filled track full of emotion that literally sounds like that of a fallen kingdom that lost a great war. On top of that, the guitar solos are also worth mentioning, and often really stand out as more impressive then some of the more epic moments on the recording.
Basically Thy Blackened Reign captures the essence of what many in the Metal community would consider "true Metal", and it performs that sound well with each track. Sure, some songs just don't have the same spark, and the epic music that accompanies some of the tracks really stands out well and sets the band apart in this day and age. The album has it's problems like a constant chorus that is typically the title of the song aside a few tracks like "Vengeance for a King" and "With Death (Comes the HORDE)", and the drumming coming off a little weaker then it really should have, but overall The Horde put together a great attempt to take Metal back to it's more testosterone-based roots, though it's more minimalistic approach does leave a little more to want from the listener. If you're dying for some vintage sounding Metal with viking lore and other related lyrical themes that basically bring the balls back to the style that had been lost when Metal became more then a man's style of primal output, then this is an effort well worth your time despite it's pitfalls.
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