HexHorn - Before The End

"Before The End" is the brand new and second full length album from the death metal band HexHorn. This five piece band of hard working gentlemen hail from Katowice, Poland, the official seat of the Polish National Radio Symphony and Orchestra. So you damn well know good, talented and dedicated musicians come from a place like that. While, self-admittedly, no one in HexHorn is classically trained or play with either the orchestra or symphony, they still fit in that mold rather well. Formed in 2014 from the members of the black metal band Hegeroth, wanting to strive for a more death sound, they founded HexHorn, while still keeping Hegeroth active as well. Yes, all members are in both bands, in a live or recorded way respectively. And hell, Hegeroth also put out a new album this year, "Degenerate", and it is killer as well.

HexHorn here play a style of death metal that is, dare I say it, fun. It just reminds you of the death days of old, while also not resorting to the grim Immolation or Incantation mode that most do these days when it comes to an "old school" sound. These guys instead rip it like we were all sent back to the year 1994. Back when death metal was still very individualistic yet it was all familiar. Much like the albums from 1994; Cannibal Corpse ("The Bleeding"), Amorphis ("Tales From The Thousand Lakes"), Fleshcrawl ("Impurity"), Incantation ("Mortal Throne Of Nazarene"), Grave ("Soulless"), Hypocrisy ("The Fourth Dimension"), Asphyx ("Asphyx"), Obituary ("World Demise") and, fellow country men, Vader ("Sothis") to name a few. Hell, it was a great year for death metal, go google it, wow, but I digress.

HexHorn sounds like an amalgamation of all these while being their own at the same time. There are moments where the riff is reminiscent of Cannibal Corpse, other times you get the groove of Fleshcrawl. There are moments where Vader sneaks in with a thrashy part or Incantation's brutality and more from others yet they never sound like they are aping or copying anyone, it is purely their own sound while merely only hinting at inspirations of old. This is just some truly ripping fun death metal played by some seriously talented and busy musicians. While they may be more "old school" in style, the production value is new, clear. Nice. Everything is audible and crisp while still being heavy and gritty.

"Before The End" is an all around good time of a death metal album that I recommend you go check out. Hell, it's a name your price album on Bandcamp (as is Hegeroth's new one). Check em out, support them, give em some money please. These guys rip!

[embed]

1. Woodcarver
2. Craftsman Of Guts
3. Turn On The Lights
4. Vom
5. Follow Me
6. Up On The Scafold
7. Blood On Gloves
8. Zeitgeber
9. Before The End
10. I Am Screaming So Loud