I am so glad that more and more artists are breaking through the stereotypes and traditions of black metal these days. Here I have a perfect Swedish example, Horde Of Hel, which is a trio that has or had members in acts like In Battle, Depraved, My Own Grave and Valkyria to name a few. This band manages to combine black metal with some real harsh industrial influences, which to be honest tickles my ball sack. And Blodskam is only their debut. Read on if you dare.

Let me give you a sentence from their biography: ‘epic and expansive, Blodskam is an adventurous collision of blackened melodies, industrial metal power and martial atmosphere, all grimly sung in a mixture of English and the band’s native tongue.’ This is what you can expect from these guys, a perfect blend of cold musical styles, being black metal and industrial. Just imagine Satyricon and such colliding head on with Ministry and some Cold Meat Industry artists and you get the picture. I just love the dark and evil atmosphere that flows from this record, and especially the fact that these guys don’t shun to put in some hardcore rave influences, like in the track ‘Live Abomination’. It somehow fits perfectly.

 

It’s really hard to give a good description of Horde of Hel's debut record here for it is quite versatile and surprising at points. All I can say is that the atmosphere on this record is utterly sublime if you dig modern/futuristic black metal. Check it out if you’re one of the few open minded Satan worshippers, or just a person with a taste for new and interesting music. It’s time for the cyber-misanthropic generation!