Review by Felix on August 24, 2024.

Horna – oh my Satan, am I the only one who is getting older and older? Okay, it is cold in Finland, but I did not know that you could be frozen there and thereby gain eternal youth. Now I have listened to 'Hymni I'. It starts without warning, intro, or other gimmicks. These nine minutes are an outburst of ice-cold energy one can actually only create with a lot of juvenile fanaticism. I don’t want to beat around the bush: this song alone is reason enough to listen to and buy the album as soon as possible. I hardly can imagine a black metal fan who will not like this track. It just embodies the morbid beauty of the genre more or less perfectly.

Nyx - Hymnejä Yölle does not seek new definitions for black metal. Instead, its six compositions are a kind of declaration of love of the genre – especially its Scandinavian form. Horna roam with the listener through endless, dark forests, feel the magic of the night in snow-covered clearings, and create an uncompromising, brutal form of spirituality. If there's one thing the tracks don't lack, it's a dark, oppressive depth that lends even the wildest sequences a mostly outstanding atmosphere. Almost needless to say, the less violent sections also score with a sinister, slightly macabre mood. 'Hymni III' is an almost shy black metal song, but it reveals an unexpected inner strength. For the older ones: it reminds me somehow of "The Immoral Wasteland", one of Holy Terror’s best pieces… this was also a rather casually played track, but really great due to its well-hung melody lines. Here we find the same attributes, only in a black metal surrounding. Some parts of 'Hymni III' are almost catchy, but still totally black, and this is a charming combination.

Horna commute masterly between sheer excess and controlled damnation. 'Hymni V' attacks with high velocity and full speed and so it follows the course of the opener. Some howling-haunting background vocals add another flavor and lend the five-minute massacre a higher level of individuality. Yet they remain the exception; it goes without saying that this track – as well as the others – is equipped with throaty, roughshod and passionate lead vocals. They are an important building block and the same goes for well-defined production. Nyx - Hymnejä Yölle does do not challenge the rawest black metal records ever, but it is far away from sounding too smooth. Horna visit us with a professional sound that fits their pretty outstanding status, no more, no less. There is a nice dose of sublime mysticism in their mix and this feature adds a lot of value to the output.

The songwriting really works on this album, more than on some of their previous albums. Almost all guitar lines make an impact and none of them sounds stale or recycled. So I awaited the final storm after the first five songs. But the closer takes a completely different direction. It is a kind of campfire black metal. Only acoustic guitars, pretty defensive, nearly harmonic yet still spooky vocals, a few beats, and some atmospheric tones appear. Maybe this is a polarizing song for some people, but I neither love nor hate it. It marks the weak point of the album, but this does not say much in view of the strength of its five competitors. From my point of view, 'Kuoleva Lupaus' is an acceptable experiment, nothing for my “Horna Best Of” mix tape, but a courageous and unpredictable track. Six instead of nine minutes would have been enough as well, but come on, who cares about these details? After all, Nyx - Hymnejä Yölle definitely deserves your attention, because it is one of the best Horna works ever.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Jeger on August 21, 2024.

"We judge every man and woman only by their demeanor, not by their race or sexual preferences. We have zero interest in politics, left or right." Says Horna, and to that statement, I must wholeheartedly agree. Fascist terror groups like ANTIFA and cancerous media outlets like MetalSucks have made it their point to foolishly label Horna of all collectives an NSBM band or one with alleged ties to said movement. Look, I’m of the mind that there’s a lot more to be sketched out over when it comes to far-left metal than there ever will be over right. Idiots make up both sides, but any person with a passion for art who supports ANTIFA is either a hypocrite or just an idiot. Concerts were canceled in The States back in 2019 due solely to the above-mentioned enemies of metal, MetalSucks, hysteria-induced accusations of bigotry, and just the whole pathetic leftist witch hunt for fascism thing. It’s enough to make you throw up in your mouth a little… Horna aren’t anything but booze-happy, Satanic, occult sons of bitches and have never been anything else - a Finnish institution whose music has widely spanned the influential breadth of the genre since 1994 - purveyors of true OCCULT-inspired Finnish black metal.

Horna is the brainchild of guitarist and Finnish BM visionary, Shatraug - renowned for his contributions to the scene but still underrated. Since their inception, as it is black metal tradition, Horna have released about 1000 records. Within their extensive discography, you’ll discover 11 LP’s with one just over the horizon coming by way of the diabolical World Terror Committee. On September 13, worldwide, Horna will release Nyx - Hymnejä Yölle. 

I was expecting an organic continuation of Horna’s 2020 Kuolemon Kirjo, something perhaps that delves even deeper into the realm of Satanism, but in this, Horna’s twelfth volume, the night awaits! Hymns and spells to herald nightly things: crescent moon aglow just beyond clouds of silver, Witches in sway with great summoned Daemons by the heat of bonfire and intoxicated by the sacred essence of world-gone-dark. Cloaked in shadow and casting their usual destructive emanations are Horna, but with a passion akin to that of youth it seems as if this record inspires more than just one of those eyes closed, fists clenched moments. And the energy - like concentrated bursts of flame that ignite with every pronounced snare pop and every crisp cymbal crash - the foundation to intricately-composed yet linear and blazing with speed riffing patterns lain. Five epics and what appears to be a dreamlike re-imagining of an old classic in 'Kuoleva Lupaus' that all just ooze melody and radiate warm Left-Hand heart & soul. 'Hymni I' and 'Hymni II', like sonic elixirs and their effect? Total and complete submission to the experience. Just stoned as fuck, gently nodding my head, eyes half shut and drunk on the unbridled melody of it all. 

It’s like I always fucking hear 90’s alternative when I listen to Horna, and there are lots of those moments peppered throughout Nyx, particularly in 'Hymni III' - those loose punk-inspired beats and that Nirvana-like roll & twang to each chord that just make me wanna throw on some Jncos and snort some Ritalin… But to describe this recording as anything less than perfect and anything short of true black metal from top to bottom would be such a left-wing thing to do. Simply the very best album that this band has ever recorded; an album of the year contender? I’d put my vote in now (you don’t actually get to vote). 

As the international extreme metal scene fevers with PC culture infection, projects like Nokturnal Mortum, Satanic Warmaster, and Horna just continue to do what they do best, and that is to create some of the world’s finest music, not just BM. Need a reason to love black metal? Take a listen… With Nyx - Hymnejä Yölle, Horna own the world of Finnish black metal; austere in their position and gazing o’er a celebrated Suomi scene that they along with Sargeist and the aforementioned SW all elevated to the next level following the initial scourge of Archgoat, Impaled Nazarene and Barathrum. So, let the SJW’s squirm under their blue hair, and may ANTIFA continue to get beaten up on camera. May true black metal and national pride always stand paramount over real hysteria-based Left Wing fascism and hatred and may free thought/expression never be censored. Here’s to Horna. 

Final Score: 10 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on August 19, 2024.

In the realm of Finnish black metal, the band Horna needs no introduction, considering that they have been around for three whole decades and have since been poisoning the world with their wicked music. Considering how everything has been going strong in 2024, it was only a matter of time before they would return with a new album, but with the recent news, they once again unleashed all hell upon the world. The fans of Finnish black metal finally have something to look forward to, because Horna's 12th full-length album Nyx (Hymnejä Yölle) is set to be released on September 13th, 2024 via the label World Terror Committee, with the recent single 'Hymni I' teasing this upcoming devastation. Let's dive into this bestial entity and embrace the Hymns for the Night.

If you are no stranger to Horna's signature hateful and nocturnal sound, then you will know exactly what to expect from these mean black metal bastards. Their newly forged album is filled with rawness and fueled with intensity, nicely expressed through their aggressive tremolo-picking riffs, harsh shouting vocals, and fast-paced drums with lots of double-bass and blast beasts, setting the stage on fire with their unholy strength. Along the way, you will also come across some delightful surprises like the evil and catchy black 'n' roll moments on 'Hymni III', showcasing a bit of that mid-tempo heaviness that still gives a strong punch in the guts with the overdriven rock and roll riffing. Since we're talking about Hymns for the Night, this album is separated into multiple chapters, all of which are like devilish serenades that gradually build up the journey through the dark, taking it even further with all the awesome stuff it throws right in your face. The overall flow of Nyx (Hymnejä Yölle) can be described as an "extremely relentless non-stop headbanging action", which simply doesn't slow down for a breath of fresh air even for a single bit. The entire album is continuously delivering death with every next song and the great thing is that nothing feels wasted or overdone even halfway through, because it successfully keeps you engaged the deeper it descends into the abyss. The general highlight of Horna's music is that it always made me feel like I am going on a journey through the void, which over time becomes more intense and more unsettling, and by no means is this new album an exception, especially because track 'Hymni V' gives this impression like you are about to face something great and vile that awaits from the other side. The overall build-up of this track shows its effectiveness once we reach the grand climax with 'Kuoleva Lupaus', a neofolk reinterpretation of their song of the same name from Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne, performed by their former bassist Hex Inferi as a guest appearance on this new album. This reimagined version provides a very good sense of closure to this story, especially since its dark acoustic neofolk approach feels like the credits have rolled and that everything is about to fade to black when the last note rings.

Although their songwriting is generally simplistic and straightforward black metal as it can get, even with the least amount of tempo changes, there is still a sense of good song structuring that transitions throughout this entire album, and the overall execution proved itself to be quite effective here. A band such as Horna is like an engine that keeps on running or a fiery wheel that keeps on spinning, doing their best so that it never feels rusty or thinned out, and they certainly managed to prove themselves worthy with their overall performance on Nyx (Hymnejä Yölle). No matter how standard their approach may be, or how much stylistic constancy there is, Horna really managed to keep my attention constant throughout the album's entirety, always leaving me curious to find out what comes next and what places the band will explore with each following track, especially with all the solid riff work and tremolo picking melodies to maintain its horrific atmosphere. It's not an easy task for a black metal band to pull this off, even some other veteran bands have tried but sadly failed to achieve the same result, however, you can tell that these guys are incredibly focused on their work and they know exactly what each song should express, never leaving room for any lackluster delivery.

I personally found Nyx (Hymnejä Yölle) to be a very enjoyable and engaging experience that wonderfully marks the 30th anniversary of Horna's existence. Their black metal delivery is still going strong and wild after all these years, and I think that this album is both a wonderful testament to their long-running legacy and an example that shows that they obviously mean serious business. I am sure that fans of Horna will enjoy this album as much as I did because you will certainly lose yourselves in these nightly hymns once you begin your journey through the dark.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10