Merchants Of Air
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Concerts
  • Premieres
  • Interviews
  • Giveaways
  • Playlists
  • Shop
    • Merchants Of Air releases
  • About us
    • About Us
    • Writers Wanted
    • Logos and banner
    • Advertise
    • Mailinglist

Hordak - Padre

17/2/2016

Comments

 
black metal / folk metal
Casus Belli Musica
bandcamp
facebook
Foto
Picture
Support Merchants Of Air Check out our THISISNOTABANDSHIRT collection
The pagans are loose.  Hordes of heathens are storming the fields and roaming the forests, assaulting everything that is wicked and unholy in their eyes.  Their long hair creates waves under which their swords and spears prepare to penetrate the flesh of their enemies. The battle will be fierce and it will be brutal but in the end, the pagans will be victorious.  In the end, the heathens will celebrate, banging their heads to Hordak.

Spanish pagan metal horde Hordak have been around for awhile.  'Padre' is already their fourth album.  It's a very ambitious one too, pulling out all the stops to make this an epic piece of work. That's not only noticeable in the vast amount of instruments used but also in the guest appearances from members of Folkearth, Crystal Moors and Forefather.  However, in all it's ambition, this still is a nostalgic trip into the history of this sub-genre.

Halfway through opener 'Ekleipsis – Devourer Of Gods', I'm immersed in nostalgia, raising my fist to the sheer grandeur that comes out of this track.  I think about Primordial. I think about Moonspell and I think about Amorphis in their 'Tales' era.  Above all that, I think 'fuck yeah'.  It has been awhile since I heard something like this and I'm immediately sold.  I don't think Hordak could have written a better opening track for this album.

From there, the album continues on this gloomy and mysterious path, including flutes and violin to enhance the pagan atmosphere.  Yet, with these grinding guitars and resolute drums, there is plenty of headbanging goodness to be found too.  You try to sit still while listening to 'Soaring' or 'Thrive'. If you succeed, you are not a pagan metal fan, period.  Besides, there is some damn good guitar play to be found here too, including some awesome solos.

What this genre lacks in complexity, it makes up for in sheer grandeur and an atmosphere of victory and heroism. Hordak know that, and take that atmosphere to epic levels.  Even when the intensity goes down, as on the beautiful piece 'Sol', these guys make the absolute best of it.  This track is worthy of mentioning Opeth, be it in an acoustic setting.  This surely is one of my favorites on this already epic album.

'A Leader In Times Of War' is another one of my favorites and probably one of the most immersive on this album.  It's also the one that reminds me the most of traditional Scandinavian black metal for some reason. While the album closes with the massive title track 'Padre', I'd like to end this review by recommending this album to all pagan metal fans out there. This is pure nostalgia for some but it is definitely good enough tho stand its ground in today's blackened scene.


​Serge
Comments
    subscribe to our newsletter

    Genres

    All
    Acoustic
    Alternative
    Ambient
    Avant Garde
    Avant-garde
    Black Metal
    Blues
    Children
    Classical
    Country
    Crust
    Dark Ambient
    Dark Jazz
    Darkwave
    Death Metal
    Doom
    Dream Pop
    Drone
    Drum & Bass
    Dub
    Dubstep
    EBM
    Electro
    Electronic
    Ethereal
    Experimental
    Folk
    Folk Metal
    Funk
    Gothic
    Grindcore
    Grunge
    Hardcore
    Hard Rock
    Heavy Metal
    Hip Hop
    Hip-hop
    Idm
    Indie
    Industrial
    Instrumental
    Jazz
    Krautrock
    Martial
    Math Rock
    Metal
    Metalcore
    Neo Classical
    Neo-classical
    Neo Folk
    Neo-folk
    Noise
    Noise Rock
    Noise-rock
    Nu Metal
    Nu-metal
    Opera
    Pop
    Post Metal
    Post Punk
    Post Rock
    Progressive
    Psychedelic
    Psytrance
    Punk
    Reggae
    Rock
    Score
    Shoegaze
    Singer/songwriter
    Sludge
    Soul
    Southern Rock
    Speed Metal
    Stoner
    Symphonic Metal
    Synthpop
    Techno
    Thrash
    Triphop
    Trip-hop
    World

    Archives

    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

Find us on

facebook
google+
twitter
tumblr
​
minds

About Us

Contact
FAQ
Logos and banners
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.