If you haven’t come across the name Horizon Ablaze before I wouldn’t be surprised. Their debut album ‘Spawn’ was released in 2011 to little or no fanfare, even though they have some well-known musicians in their line-up including Andrè Kvebek (1349) and Shandy McKay (Absu), both bands that have gained a lot of column inches over the last few years. They have returned with their second album, ‘Dødsverk’ (Norwegian for “Deathworks”), and although the first didn’t exactly set the world alight, I am sure that this one will. Here we have a Black Metal/Death Metal hybrid that hits the ground running and keeps going at a frantic pace throughout. This is extreme metal as it’s most brutal, and keeps pummelling long after the ears have become a memory and the head is just a bleeding mess.
This is music that isn’t going to take any prisoners and luckily the production is up to the task at hand so it can be played loud enough to be shared with the neighbours. Don’t worry about the lounge jazz interlude on “Dømt til Frihet”, it is just there to make you realize just how heavy this really is. Undoubtedly one of the finest releases I have ever come across from Code 666, this is definitely worth investigating for those who want their music at the limits.
http://www.auralmusic.com
