Review by Felix on January 1, 2023.

When considering the total population, Sweden is probably the most creative country in terms of metal. Suicidal Winds belongs to the grim hordes of this beautiful land. The band unites all types of extreme metal so that you are confronted with a bastard of black thrashing death metal. Because of this combination, the usual ingredients of Swedish death metal do not appear. Neither extremely low tuned guitars nor deep growling characterise the music on this album. The lead vocalist prefers an appropriate mixture of vicious nagging and hoarse screaming. Aggressiveness is the engine of his performance. The same applies to the contribution of his comrades. The guitars sound powerful and brutal while being accompanied by a very present bass. The mix also does not neglect the permanently hammering drums. This ensures that the high speed drumming reveals its full effect. All these factors lead to a dense and fairly dark sound.

Suicidal Winds presents hectic segments, for example during the slightly chaotic opener, as well as rarely surfacing atmospheric sections. Here I refer to the instrumental middle-part of the best track called "Storms of Hell". Wind comes up, a bell is ringing; this is nothing exceptional, but always effective. Nevertheless, the songs barrel along like German tanks during the first two years of World War II. While being not interested in epic tunes, the band celebrates eleven sonic battles. The restless Swedes keep an eye on vigorous guitar lines and wuthering riffs. They do not create an unique mix of extreme metal elements. But this does not matter at all. The music leaves its mark, not least because of the rigorous stubbornness of the musicians who only know one direction. Complicated rhythms or fashionable guitar gimmicks do not show up. A stupid approach? I do not think so. The band just sees no sense in delivering technical knickknack. But this is almost a matter of course in view of the here presented style. It is, however, also correct that the band does not follow the one-riff-per-song formula.

The stereotyped lyrics deal with the usual nonsense and the songs do not differ significantly from each other. If you know one track, you know them all. And if you like one of them, you will like them all. Due to this situation, the record falls under the category "love it or hate it". I choose the first alternative, because the full-length possesses a couple of captivating songs. For example, "Morbid Temptation" shines with its vibrant chorus. The same goes for "Lord of Abyss" which also delivers a stormy ending. The list could be continued. To make a long story short, we must survive ten violent outbursts before the cautious final number heralds the end of an album that should not be ignored.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Review by Felix on November 25, 2023.

"Sudentaival", the third full-length by the long-lived authority known as Horna, dispenses with a preface. Drums, guitars and bass immediately burst out of the speakers with elemental force and it takes less than five seconds for the lead singer to scream his first hate-filled messages into the microphone. His ardent performance in combination with the infernal guitar leads, well executed tempo shifts, mega-heavy mid-tempo parts and a basic violence form an uncompromising opener. The only thing that surprises me is that no blood drips from the speakers. Guess they are broken.

Of course, there is not just one way how black metal can be performed. But the uttermost ferocious form to which Horna have dedicated themselves reflects a lot of the genre’s pure essence. And the more Horna walks the straightest path, the more their music starts to enlighten the cold Finnish nights. A fantastic killer like “Haudanusva” shows that merciless hammering of the drums and minimally melodic guitars can liaise in a very exciting way, but the sinister mid-paced segments of the track also work. The singer's vomit orgy at the end is equally stunning. But this is just a hint for those of you who cannot live without the delicate details.

The following “Skaldiriimu” is a little downer, because it illustrates that even the most unscrupulous bullies need a break from time to time. I don’t say that mega-atrocious is good and less furious is bad per se, but “Skaldiriimu” does not succeed in captivating me. All the more reason for me to welcome the fact that things are back to normal with “Kun synkkä ikuisuus avautuu“, even though it holds some pretty crude background vocals. But such details aside, it is ovious that the compositions of Horna convey the spirit of the genre in an authentic manner.

Okay, „Sudentaival“ is surely not the most atmospheric black metal album ever. Buit this is only logical, because its focus is definitely set on hateful aggression. Nevertheless, in rare moments melancholy and sadness flare up. The same goes for expressive riffs. Sometimes the generally apocalyptic approach almost suffocates the guitars, but the beginning of “Noidanloitsu” gives room to striking guitar lines. Of course, the density and violence of the quite raw production takes its toll and some nuances are falling by the wayside. Either way, after all there can be no doubt that “Sudentaival” is not perfect, but very good. Check out the title track, which is divided in two parts, a fatalistic slow-paced beginning with broad, flattening guitars and a typical murderous massacre after a short break. If you like this track, you will certainly enjoy the entire album as well. No doubt, Horna are one of the most famous of the five million Finnish black metal bands for a reason.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10