Album Review: Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium (Season of Mist)

Extreme metal band Horrendous will release their brand-new, and fifth full-length ‘Ontological Mysterium’ on August 18th, 2023, via Season of Mist.

We call Horrendous extreme metal because it is the simplest way to sum them up, but it does not do the unique creation much justification. Horrendous can be very extreme, but they can also be anthemic and atmospheric. Their sound crosses genres and this album is a startling example of that, giving off death, doom, thrash, prog, melo-death, and heavy metal vibes throughout.

It begins in such epic and atmospheric fashion as The Blaze burns with a blackness that quickly engulfs the senses. It’s short, but that’s because Chrysopoeia (The Archaeology of Dawn) is next, and it’s almost the complete opposite. Featuring frantic riffs, guttural death growls, progressive twists and turns, enigmatic melody, and so much more. It’s an insanely creative listen and one of many highlights on the album.

Neon Leviathan is up next and here, Horrendous live up to their name by going fast and heavy with a thrilling slice of bedlam. A track that will make your eyes water and ears bleed. Followed then the off-kilter weirdness of Aurora Neoterica. A track that falls a couple seconds short of two minutes but proves to be an expansive example of their instrumental nuances.

The tone shifts again with Preterition Hymn, the crystal-clear dynamics of the instruments playing off vocals that sound ripped straight out of hell. The bass is extremely prominent here and it hums with impressive power. Before along comes Cult of Shaad’oah, a crushing track with a deep, dark, and blacker tone. Yet it as progressively intriguing as always. Moving erratically through different tempos, and delving into downright savage territories.

Based off the first two-thirds, Ontological Mysterium is a real contender for the most creative release heard this year. So unique is it, there’s no doubt that their ingenuity will continue, yet they still find a way to push the limits even more with Exeg(en)esis. Genius or madness? This is a lot of both.

The album then wraps up with two more lavishly layered efforts in the form of the title track and The Death Knell Ringeth. Two more impressive examples of Horrendous’ spacious sound and how they utilise all the room to make something that truly stands out from the heavy, or extreme, pack.

Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium Track Listing:

1. The Blaze
2. Chrysopoeia (The Archaeology of Dawn)
3. Neon Leviathan
4. Aurora Neoterica
5. Preterition Hymn
6. Cult of Shaad’oah
7. Exeg(en)esis
8. Ontological Mysterium
9. The Death Knell Ringeth

Links

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