At the end of the 18th century, the German romantic poet Novalis (born Georg Friedrich Philipp Freiherr von Hardenberg) finished his poem ‘Hymnen an Die Nacht’. Inspired by the death of his wife just a few years prior, the poem deals with day and night, not as antagonists but as complementary to each other. It details development of a happy life in the light, the painful process of alienation and ultimately the salvation of the eternal night. What follows is an awakening from this vision and a longing for its return, time after time, to reach new levels of knowledge. Though a Christian himself, Novalis paints a pantheistic view, in which there is more between man and God, in this case the beloved dead and the godliness of nature, even harkening back to times before Christianity. A tale of the night, and source of inspiration for the 11th album of Finnish Black Metal stalwarts Horna.
The album title ‘Nyx – Hymnejä Yölle’ not only refers by name to aforementioned poem, but also to Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night and daughter of chaos. Musically it radiates an aura of longing and adoration of light and darkness. Although much of that is not uncommon to the sound of Horna, it gives the album a unique atmosphere amongst the discography. Not only that, the six tracks on the album are generally a bit lengthier, and the production is definitely the clearest out of all the records. But just as ‘Sotahuuto’, ‘Sudentaival’, ‘Sanojesi Äärelle’ and ‘Kuoleman Kirjo’ differ from each other, the latest album is no exception and fits perfectly in the quality Black Metal that we have come to expect from Horna.
‘Nyx – Hymnejä Yölle’ leaves nothing on the table from the start, with ‘Hymni I’ setting the tone. With a sharp and intense track, it’s the imposing dynamics in the drums together with the typical piercing intensity, groove and melody of Horna that sounds all so familiar. With regards to setting the tone from the opening, it’s about as good as it gets and a stellar start to the album. Clear is that within the production the role of the bass is even more enhanced, giving the compositions a sense of cohesion. Indeed, more than ever before, the album has a collective sound in which all the elements are perfectly balanced. The layered guitars, the bass, the flurry of drums and the multiple vocal tracks all find their way to the forefront at the right moment. One such example is the clean vocal chanting that gives the whole album that aforementioned sense of adoration and salvation. This is also obvious from the riffs of for instance ‘Hymni III’ which is at times almost harmonious, or in ‘Hymni II’, although that song shows its treacherous nature as the mood shifts as the hymn as told. ‘Hymni IV’ takes a slightly different approach than most other songs. A relentless and uniform drum barrage dictates the pace while the guitar meanders and shifts, contrasting the dynamics of the rest of the songs where it’s the whirling drums that provide the sense of unpredictability instead. With ‘Hymni V’ the album reaches its most typical Horna composition, although the addition of wailing background vocals and dissonant bass lines add a twist to the darkness.
On the topic of twists, ‘Kuoleva Lupaus’ is undoubtedly the most atypical song on the album. A nearly nine minute long acoustic Neofolk song, it offers multiple layers of guitar melodies and clean vocals intertwined to in a beautiful ode to the night. A truly unique piece within the Horna catalogue that arguably may not pierce every Black Metal fans heart, but still bears the bands signature talent for writing entrancing riffs. It serves as a glorious end to the ode of the night and rounds off another Horna album that stands out amongst the discography and its peers. The record is Horna through and through, with all the groove, intensity and trademark riffs we have come to love. It’s the most cohesive and clearest sounding thus far, without compromising any of the ferocity and spirit of the band. I’m sure some will prefer the older material of Horna and ‘Nyx – Hymnejä Yölle’ may not change their minds. But if you, like me, enjoy their entire discography, this is yet another must have. It’s a great record throughout, a testament that the sound that Horna has stood for for three decades now, is still firmly ahead of the vast majority of the Finnish Black Metal scene.
