6 panel Digipak edition limited to 300 copies, including bonus track
Track 9 - Hornanväki (alternate version) is a bonus track.
Horna is a band that I have always looked at and truly respected. Why? Because of their sheer dedication to their blackened craft of infernal music. Yeah I know a lot of other bands are dedicated but fuck'em because this review is about Horna.
Another entry in the Blast From The Past series, we take a look at Horna's demo "Hiidentorni" that has been re-released a few times. The version I am and will always refer to is the 1997 Solistitium Records version which is still the best version today beating both the original demo and 2000 Woodcut Records re-release which included their first full-length LP "Kohti Yhdeksän Nousua", "Perimä Vihassa Ja Verikostossa" E.P." and 5 extra tracks that later appeared under the Best of/compilation "Ordo Regnum Sathanas" of the same name? Sounds confusing right? Not really. This is what one expects from black metal bands and nothing less from Horna for the most part. What makes the version I am referring to better is simply because of it's sound and mood. The original demo version was very muddy. The first re-release was a lot fucking better in keeping that traditional black metal rawness, and it is the same kind of rawness that keeps me going back to Horna. The sound retains the underground harshness but is clear enough to hear the majority of the musicians and vocals. Nothing is too over done. The levels are where they need to be. If more black metal bands had productions such as this, well by Jove I bet you we would see better output from a lot more bands. Again, I cannot stress on getting the Solistitium Records version which is only limited to 1500 copies, and it may end up costing you the same amount you may pay for a copy of a Sarcofago picture disc(and I know which one you are going to pick...I know, decisions, decisions!), but it's worth it. As far as the artwork goes, yeah the Woodcut Records version has way better artwork in the image of a skeletal warrior in some far away fantasy land, but the ghotsly blue/white image of Corvus looking all kvlt-like with gold lettering is much more laid back to the eye of the listener. The artwork serves as a total representation of not only Horna, but black metal in general in the mid-90's when it's rawness couldn't be fucking macthed by any other music genre or sub metal genre.
"Hiidentorni" is interesting to see where Horna started out in their embryonic stages. Their music incubating their infernal existence at the time was a sign of more great things to come from them and would foretell their existence in the Finnish black metal scene alongside the likes of Beherit and Archgoat, standing right next to them waving the banner of hate. First are the musicians; Vocalist Nazgul von Armageddon a.k.a. Satanic Tyrant Werewolf, guitarist Shatraug, bassist Skratt, and drummer Gorthaur. Yeah, I know you are thinking to yourself where do they get such kooky aliases? I don't know, but they are what they are in the fact that they are nothing more than your typical horde of black metal musicians, but typical musicians they are not. Vocalist Nazgul is fucking SICKENING behind the mic. At times I can understand why Horna main man/member Shatraug enlisted demented madman Corvus not to long after Horna's second LP. He takes Nazgul's vocals and is able to keep the sickening rasp but with a lot more stamina. It's all too obvious when he would leave Horna's ranks he would come into his own in Satanic Warmaster. Shatraug does his job in laying down blazing Bathory-esque riffs. Drummer Gorthaur is going ape shit behind his drum kit. Bassist Skratt doesn't do anything that shines out. You can hear his bass maybe one or two times on the entire demo which is great, but then again he neither adds nor takes away from the music. Poor little buddy is standing around thinking "Um, OK I'm here?? Anyone??" “Hiidentorni” starts off with “Avaus” an intro that is basically filled with nothing but cheesy horror movie samples and the ecstatic moans of a woman. “Kun Lyömme Jumalan Kodin Liekkeihin” the first song just blasts through and is nothing but total mid-90’s black metal. Remember how I had mentioned Nazguls’s sounding really sickening? That sickness is displayed in this song where at some parts it sounds like he is giving it all and some back-up vocals that sound a lot like Nattramn of Silencer! Not a lot but just a hint. “Hiidentorni Huokuu Usvansa” is a mid-tempo paced song where you can hear Skratt’s bass for the most part speeds past the mid-tempo into a straight forward hammering hardcore punk beat and then into a more swinging beat. It’s a foot-tapper. Now I’m not the biggest Emperor fan in the world but “Ikuisesti, Kalpeina Kuoleman Muistoina” sounds very similar to “I Am the Black Wizards”. “Tappakaa Kristus” which is a fan favorite sums up all the best parts of early Horna. They still play this little number in concerts these days. “Sanoista... Pimeyteen” and “Hornan väki” are the most harshest and fastest songs on “Hiidentorni” with “Hänen Synkkä Myrskynsä” being the bridge between the two which is the same as “Hiidentorni Huokuu Usvansa” as far as tempo changes. “Sinulle Mätänevä Jehova” is the same as well, but isn't as memorable. It's not a bad song, it's just put there I suppose. It's one of the songs I don't find myself listening to over and over and I usually skip it. With that said "Sinulle Mätänevä Jehova" closes off this demo of a one-two punch of two different types of songs from Horna; mid-paced rockers(not in a cheesy way) and fast, blazing, assaulting satanic metal. This is how Horna started off and how Horna continues to this day. No keyboards, nothing the distracts the listener from the music. Out of a possible 8 songs we have 4 god ones, two that just completely put this demo/album at the level where it should be, two that are actually needed to round it off as far as variety goes and finally one of those two that rounds the demo off not really a keeper. Bottom line: damn good demo material.
In closing, even during their demo era, Horna wasn’t what you would call a force to be reckoned with, but you knew that they would perfect and hone in on their ability to make simplistic, raw black metal that only Finns could make. It’s also hard to say where I would rank this amongst other Horna releases, but I would definitely place it amongst the two most recent ones; the double LP “Sanojesi Äärelle” and the still sickening-as-fuck “Ääniä Yössä”. But until I get my hands on a copy of “Musta Kaippu”, “Hiidentorni” is definitely within the top Horna releases and is a must own for all Horna die-hards.
Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
