History
Lappeenranta 's Horna, meaning Hell according to the band, arose from the ashes of Shadowed in 1993. A demo called Varjoissa was issued in 1995 which presented a grim black metal band with a frosty image. The band's second demo also became its official debut when pressed by the German label Solistitium. This would end the services of Skratt and Moredhel. The band would bounce back a year later with Thanatos and the return of Moredhel. This line-up recorded a split with Fog. Simultaneously Nazgul would sing for Dawn Of Relic on a part time basis. Nazgul would end up leaving in late 2001 and a whole new line-up would preside over a packaged re-release through Woodcut Records of the band's previous material and a MCD called Korpin Hetki. Many split EPs would follow. Black Metal Warfare reportedly would be limited to 150 copies and feature a Beherit cover.
Haudankylmyyden Mailla was reissued in late 2004. Displeased Records issued a Horna/Blackdeath split-7" in 2005. Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne was reissued in 2005 through The End Records in North America. This licensing deal was not approved by the band and lead to some unhappiness. The band ended 2005 with several split CDs with the likes of Blackdeath. The group issued its seventh album, Sanojesi Äärelle, on September 29th, 2008 through Debemur Morti Productions. The act issued Musta Kaipuu in 2009, which was a compilation of ten tracks from the Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne recording sessions. Horna’s Sudentaival CD and Viha Ja Viikate MCD were re-issued by Woodcut Records. The releases were out on 17.03.2010 Worldwide. 2014 brought separate splits with Demonic Christ and Den Saakaldte. A live 2016 demo was called Live Armageddon 1999-2000. Shadowflag was performing at the Carpathian Alliance festival in Ukraine in mid-2017. Also playing were the likes of Shining, Aura Noir, Horna and Hate. LRH was on drums.
Reviews
HORNA - ENVAATNAGS EFLOS SOLF ESGANTAAVNE - THE END
If a clean and slick sound is a skyscraper, then Horna and its latest album Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne are on the bottom floor. The album's sound has all the charm of a rattling aged lorry on its way to be scrapped. The production was probably put together one late night for fifty bucks through an 8-track studio with a werewolf in control. If sound quality is not the band's forte then what is Horna all about? The sinister band conjures raw, dark and abhorrent music with simple riffs, ghastly vocals and inscrutable lyrics. Occultisms and imagery abound as song after song makes Gorgoroth and Tsjuder sound like slick and polished mainstream bands. Either way, the music is intense and certifiably ominous. Basic and fast harmonies on the guitar are the bread and butter of these Finns.
Horna is Finnish which probably translates into a lot of confusion all around. Somewhere in Finland a couple of young boys are sitting around perfecting their latest Amorphis copy sound (believing it to be metal) while pondering what this racket made by Horna is all about. The keyboardist is especially confused. - Ali "The Metallian"
HORNA - SANOJESI AARELLE - MORIBUND 
Horna is without a doubt one of the world’s most prolific metal acts (this Finnish band has unbelievably appeared on upwards of 30 recordings, including splits and EPs, since the late '90s), but what’s especially intriguing about the group is that its quality rarely suffers despite the onslaught of material. And on Sanojesi Aarelle, Horna once again presents us with true black metal that is raw, aggressive and vastly superior to the vast hordes of clones content to merely and badly re-write the early '90s classics. Though Horna does revel in the traditional element of Norwegian black metal, its penchant for song-craft is to be commended 'cos these are the kind of excellent hymns that have you re-affirming your faith in the malicious sub-genre. Simply, this is an excellent record, one that seethes intensity and distinction and has taken Horna to a whole new level of merit. One question, though: with 30 releases, how do these guys choose a live setlist? - James Tape
Interviews
|
