Horde - Hellig Usvart (1994)
The 1st Christian black metal band under the moniker of Horde is quite an interesting album! The band consisted of 1 member who went under the name Anonymous. Released in 1994, the album Hellig Usvart was originally released on Nuclear Blast Records. Now rereleased by Rowe Productions. Consisting of 12 tracks, this is quite an album! Very grim, dark and in some places even a bit haunting. This is the way black metal is supposed to be played. The drums are quite intense. Lots of fast double bass and 16th beats that make black metal what it is. The guitars have no melody, but drive the music forward giving the listener a gloomy sorta feel. Bass is there and adds a little dimension making parts a little more intense and adding a different feel to it. The vocals are high and screechy and extremely harsh and really compliments the music. Very little keyboards in this album (only appears in 2 songs) but it added the feel of eeriness that makes the music even more shrill. This is very old school black metal in the likes of Dark Throne and older Mayhem and if you are a fan of theirs (or were a fan) this album is definitely for you! -- Review by Shannon