Review by Fernando on August 4, 2024.

Back in 2022, Horns & Hooves, the blasphemous and perverted sect from NYC unleashed their debut album to high acclaim, and two years later, these sex-crazed fiends have graced us with another opus of pungent and lustful black metal with their newest EP Spectral Voyeurism to be released by Stygian Black Hand in collaboration with Invictus Productions.

To those not in the know, Horns & Hooves play black metal that’s very old school while also embracing a modern dynamism, and much like the entire back catalog of Stygian Black Hand’s roster of extreme metal, the band is fervent underground worshippers. Indeed, band co-founders Malebolge and Salpsan, alongside drummer Orobas, have carved a name for themselves in a way very few modern bands have, and in my honest opinion, it’s criminal that they aren’t more well-known.

Now, since this is an EP, this will be a short review, but one of the great things about Horns & Hooves is how they pack a punch with brevity. Musically the band is still in their wheelhouse, fast, pummeling, and thrash-laden black metal, that hearkens to the late 80s in all the right ways with a smattering of riffs and solos, and accompanied by manic drums. Malebolge continues to be the MVP of the band, and for this EP he handles all the guitar work, which is excellent, and the guitars are where the music here differs from the debut album. Spectral Voyeurism doubles down on the inherent thrash elements within black metal, in some areas, particularly the solos, the EP goes into a punkish territory, and at the tune of Malebolge’s high-pitched wailing, they go full black metal, and also leave room for some truly bizarre deviations and sonic experimentation that rarely appears in black metal, even less so in the niche of old-school and thrashy black metal Horns & Hooves circulates.

These bizarre experiments can be heard from the get-go after the appropriately lecherous intro track where the band remains committed to their sexually blasphemous aesthetic. The title track features Salpsan playing a vibraphone opposite to Malebolge’s insanely fast riffs and solos, and the lead single and second to last track 'Waiting For Creation' has an acoustic guitar lead breakdown that also manages to remain in line with the song’s funereal tone, and across the entire EP, there’s the vocal gymnastics of main man Malebolge, the man’s rabid growls and manic wails are as strong as ever, and he still also indulges into high-pitched screaming that honors the likes of Bruce Dickinson, King Diamond, Tom Araya, and Rob Halford. Malebolge’s vocals also go into bizarre moments where he starts doing what can only be described as operatic singing that sounds wrong but fits the total insanity of the music. Alongside the vocals there are also the keyboards, courtesy of the band’s co-founder Salpsan, which permeate the album and pop out in specific moments to enhance the atmosphere, and the band rounds everything up with their use of very crude and, horny, puns intended samples and dialogue.

The most unique track in the EP, however, is the instrumental ‘Shallow Blue (Hesitation)’ which on its own, would perfectly work as the main theme in a trashy 80’s horror movie, from the keytar synths to the keyboards that open it, to the almost new wave-ish beat and bass, it perfectly evokes that atmosphere of 80’s Satanic Panic and treads a careful balance between pure cheese and self-awareness.

To close off, I want to praise all the members’ skills, Malebolge really shined with his guitar playing, from riffs and solos to acoustic guitar and synth guitar, and his excellent vocals, Salpsan gets to flex play bass, vibraphone, and keyboards, and Orobas remains a masterclass drummer, effortlessly switching back and forth from pure chaos to more complex rhythms. In conclusion, Horns & Hooves triumphed again, and my one and only complaint is that now I want another full-length album.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Felix on December 2, 2023.

Korpituli have released two albums up to now. It is, of course, another one man project and slowly but steadily I am getting sick of these bands. Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to share your musical ideas with two or three band mates? Is it impossible that different opinions can make the draft of a song better? Anyway, let’s take it as it is and jump into “As Infinite Shadows of the Nightsky”. I am talking about an album which is motivated by great role models (Emperor, for example), but it does not reach the quality of the inspiring classics. Mister Korpituli does not always strike the right tone.

A good opener is a fine start, but we all know that it alone does not make a good album. Nevertheless, “The Keys and Gates to Unhallowed Lands” marks a promising start. Its melody lines pick up the haunting harmonies of Emperor’s debut. The perfection of “In the Nightside Eclipse” remains untouched, but the song has verve and atmosphere. Well, the latter remains as it comes to “Endless Whispers Echo”, but now our lonely friend seems to be inspired by rather ambient Burzum songs or lame suicidal black metal. The album derails in a matter of minutes, even the slightly more powerful ending cannot keep it on track. The artist also starts to vary his voice, but his solemn or theatrical singing is not for the benefit of the audience. Despite his surely good intentions, the dude almost ruins “In the Witches Circle” with his nearly embarrassing way of singing the words “witches circle”. By contrast, his harsh vocal approach and some desperate, clean shouts in “Lost, Unspoken Sorrow of Ages” are absolutely okay, but come on, accept your limits.

As the album progresses, it gets more and more evident that the opener does not fully represent the art of Korpituli. Slow rhythms play a big role on “As Infinite Shadows of the Nightsky” and melancholy and fatalism gain the upper hand. This is a pity, because the opener and some thrilling up-tempo sequences of the aforementioned “Lost, Unspoken Sorrow of Ages” imply a respectable potential of the artist when it comes to comparatively fast segments. The absent velocity is not the only problem during the (not really) majestic sections. The worse thing is actually that they are pretty long, but they fail to develop a hypnotic effect. Yet I want to stay fair: there are almost no parts that are totally annoying. Even “In the Witches Circle” houses some intense and furious sections.

The keyboards accompany the guitars and drums more or less during the entire playtime, but they are cleverly used and so they appear as an organic instrument in the soundscape of the Finn. Speaking of organic elements, the production tastes slightly computerized, but all in all the mix does not mar the big picture. And exactly this picture tells us that Korpituli is able to write substantial songs (parts) with a certain depth, but to waste some percentages of his potential seems to be a hobby of the guy. Or he suffers from a rare, non-healthy weakness for somewhat mediocre mid-paced or slow songs. Anyway, the album has grown on me and so I think that its positive sides dominate. But if the artist prefers to stay alone, he should at least ask for a second opinion when it comes to the recordings for the next album.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10