Horndal - Head Hammer Man

2024-04-04 07:00:44

Horndal follow the admittedly unusual approach to the history of the small town Horn Valley to music, accompanied by angry sounds with a death metal and sludge touch. This was achieved brilliantly on “Lake Drinker” three years ago and is now finally heading into a similarly spectacular next round. „Head Hammer Man“ is dedicated to an almost forgotten hero of the city: Alrik Andersson, leader of the striking iron workers, who secured the rights and employment of his employees on the brink of civil war, but was himself blacklisted and had to emigrate to America to earn a living to be able to.

The opening title song with excerpts from a speech by Andersson makes it quite clear where the journey is headed. Horndal remain committed to sludge, angry and deadly, but at the same time find more space and freedom for atmosphere, for pointed breaks and mild psychological terror. There’s more about this in the following “Calling: Labor”. The 80s-heavy wave and glam opening surprises and awakens memories of Kvelertak, makes the proceedings a bit more catchy and still emphasizes the brutal danger of this quartet. A hellish descent in the middle section escalates the situation.

“The Shining Specter” is also strong and tends to strike a different note in its six minutes. The solemn mood and the decidedly tough presentation carry a lot of doom charm, emphatically ponderous and yet somehow attractive in their bizarre, oppressive beauty. “Creature Cages” takes the reduced basic mood and presses it into a sludge rock corset that howls and thrashes again and again – dry, oppressive, somehow disturbing in the best sense of the word. The nasty, relentlessly forward “Blacklisted”, on the other hand, causes pain in the best sense of the word and is always more than courageous and powerful.

Horndal carefully and yet firmly expand their sound, without ignoring the booming and deadly energy of their predecessors. “Head Hammer Man” boasts chaotic charm, relies on conscious disruption and knows how to entertain with it. It wasn’t supposed to work that way, let alone fit together, but it works just fine. Surprisingly catchy 80s rides, more atmosphere, but also noisy loops and experimental destructiveness fuel the sludge madness once again. It is without question worth staying tuned to this hussar ride, because once again storytelling and music come together incredibly well.

Rating: 8/10

Available from: April 5, 2024
Available via: Prosthetic Records (Cargo Records)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/horndalband