Review by Alex on May 14, 2020.

After hearing the new Árstíðir Lífsins and Kawir albums of 2020, selecting a better of the two was far too much of a challenging task to undertake; now to increase the burden of crowning the best pagan black metal album of 2020 thus far is Horn with its new album, Mohngang. Out on Iron Bonehead Records 15th May 2020, Mohngang rises to the occasion in not just competing heavily within the vast-lands of the sub-genre but challenges itself in attempt to out-do that of all its previous releases, as every band should. Mohngang with startling precision manages to capture beauty, glory, and tumult with a shuddering array of hymns all sincere to the idea of pagan black metal.

Controlled by one Nerrath, the project has an unbelievable amount of quality releases that have garnered the revere it has today alongside aforementioned bands. And when placed in such a prestigious category and/or lauded by the masses in this grandeur manner, it would come as no surprise the entity with a peacocking passion, puts on display the best it has to offer to date. Mohngang should resonate with anyone who appreciates greatly well thought-out music and black metal for that fact. Hence there's no politicking whether or not the record's standard is of praise or not.

From the instrumental album opener 'Einleitung - Der Wettlauf zum Mee' to the very last tale 'Die Mit Dem Bogen Auf Dem Kreuz (Cello Version)', Horn ensues a comfort of mystical all the while perilous land and seascapes with which to engulf the listener completely. Never tiring, Horn finds new ways to retain the listener/s attention, whether it be the catchy chorus of 'Satt Scheint Der Sud Der Tat' or the mid-tempo folk and acoustic wander of 'Upstream Canals, A Ship's Bell Sounds', you feel a sense of movement within these songs that take you from mountainous lands to serene and void-like tempestuous seas to shimmering skies and back. Matched by a humble pacing, transitioning from one place to the next feels thoroughly silky smooth all the while proving to be a warming experience.

None of this could be possible had it not been steered by the grace of Nerrath, whose roaring compositions descend upon the listener with a sense of snowy celestial beauty expressed through a black/heavy metal bombasticity of a song like 'Wär nicht Traubhagel' that'd dig far and deep for an essential equipage of pagan properties to compliment the sonorous vocals of Nerrath. Whether it be his snarls, pagan chanting on choruses, or heartfelt humming on 'Handkreis und Chor', his vocals possess an esteem of diligence that in turn emulsifies with the tranquil massage of his guitaring and drumming. Merged with the many folk instruments and even the cowbell heard on 'De Står Her Somsletta', Mohngang lifts itself from being just another addition in the genre, to being a rune of near-flawless craftsmanship.

Horn's work is meritorious in making Mohngang a relic of past ages, rediscovered and cast into the here and now like formations of dunes blown form centuries ago.

Rating: 9.7 out of 10

Review by Adam M on November 11, 2019.

Relinquished perform progressive metal with a heavy dose of death added in.  The music is varied and features a number of dynamic changes to be as interesting as possible.  It features a nice mix up between complex song structures and more impactful death metal moments.  The combination is certainly intriguing and makes for great background music.  The songs are certainly heavy enough and this is a compelling element to a progressive recording.  The vocals are deep and gurgly and don’t really fit with the music completely, but this doesn’t stop them from being somewhat effective. 

Towards the middle of the disc, the music becomes a little strange and loses its focus from the earlier portions, but it is still impactful stuff.  This should appeal to death metal fans of bands like Gorod as much as progressive metal fans and this is largely because of the singing style used and the amount of blast beats present.  The whole affair is very unique sounding and one of a kind which adds to the list of reasons to check this out.  I wish it were a little more consistent, but the music is still quite appealing regardless.   If there are any flaws with the recording its because the weirdness factor prevents the album from really shining and this brings the grade of the band down slightly. 

Still, there are enough worthwhile aspects to Addictivies (Pt. 1) to make it a definite must check out to fans of progressive music in general.  If the music was streamlined slightly and made more digestible, it would be even more successful, but as it stands there are so many good things present that the bad is overshadowed and the album is allowed to breathe.  The meshing of death metal with progressive metal is done in an interesting and entertaining fashion. 

Rating: 7.3 out of 10  

Review by Adam M on November 11, 2019.

Relinquished perform progressive metal with a heavy dose of death added in.  The music is varied and features a number of dynamic changes to be as interesting as possible.  It features a nice mix up between complex song structures and more impactful death metal moments.  The combination is certainly intriguing and makes for great background music.  The songs are certainly heavy enough and this is a compelling element to a progressive recording.  The vocals are deep and gurgly and don’t really fit with the music completely, but this doesn’t stop them from being somewhat effective. 

Towards the middle of the disc, the music becomes a little strange and loses its focus from the earlier portions, but it is still impactful stuff.  This should appeal to death metal fans of bands like Gorod as much as progressive metal fans and this is largely because of the singing style used and the amount of blast beats present.  The whole affair is very unique sounding and one of a kind which adds to the list of reasons to check this out.  I wish it were a little more consistent, but the music is still quite appealing regardless.   If there are any flaws with the recording its because the weirdness factor prevents the album from really shining and this brings the grade of the band down slightly. 

Still, there are enough worthwhile aspects to Addictivies (Pt. 1) to make it a definite must check out to fans of progressive music in general.  If the music was streamlined slightly and made more digestible, it would be even more successful, but as it stands there are so many good things present that the bad is overshadowed and the album is allowed to breathe.  The meshing of death metal with progressive metal is done in an interesting and entertaining fashion. 

Rating: 7.3 out of 10