Review by Jerome on May 13, 2020.

Post-metal, or atmospheric sludge, is a genre that shaped a lot of the modern sound found in other styles, be it in the progressive metal, blackgaze or post-black metal. The experimental approach to textures and the emphasis on atmosphere and sound rather than riffs and chords made the genre apt for comparison with the similar movement experienced in the rock scene, namely post-rock. In fact, both genre, post-metal and post-rock shared more than just musical similarities, they both had punk (hardcore and post-punk respectively) as their stylistic origin. As such, post metal can often be seen as the blending of hardcore punk’s aggression, doom metal’s thick sound and post-rock’s emphasis on textures and atmosphere.

Moanaa’s 2019 EP Torches is clearly influenced by this post-metal scene as their two main songs, 'Inflexion' and 'Red', are reminiscent of the sound Isis and Pelican used in the mid-2000s. This comes as an interesting progression as the polish band experimented with a more technical, almost noise rock-ish sound on their 2016 release Passage.

The first song, 'Inflexion', quicks off the record with a very aggressive tone, having a tremolo picked riff overlaid with aggressive hardcore shouting and a chugging rhythmic guitar. The hardcore influences are noticeable for the first minute and a half up to which point the beat slows down and the aggression leaves way for a highly textured atmosphere. Having this very slow and peaceful atmosphere mixed with K-Vass, Moanaa’s vocalist, continued anguished shouts does give way to a very interesting contrast of sound. The song continues ebbing and flowing into slower parts intertwined with crescendos and intense parts. While 'Inflexion' is quite short by post-metal’s standard, clocking in at 7 minutes, the song has all the features one would expect from post-metal.

The second original composition on this EP is the third song, 'Red'. In this song, Moanaa decided to dial up the atmospheric aspect of their music by opting for cleaner vocals and slower tempos. While it could be argued that had the first song was predominantly focused on the post-metal/atmospheric sludge elements, this second composition opts rather for a progressive sludge approach. The song starts slow and builds up to a very heavy and thick sound characteristic of sludge. By the middle of the song, what appears to be a decrescendo ends up being a quasi-breakdown with the clean vocals enveloping the listener in a thick atmosphere. While 'Red' is certainly interesting, the various build up feel forced and the middle section of the song tends to drag.

The second song of the EP, 'Without you I’m Nothing', is a cover where the original song is credited to the UK band Placebo. As such, this song attempts to bring a post-metal vibe to an alternative rock song. While the atmosphere and texture are quite on the spot, the song ends up missing a key component for what makes atmospheric sludge so compelling. This missing ingredient is the ebb and flow of aggressive and loud to the mellow and introspective. Sadly, the song ends up feeling kind of awkward and out of place.

It is not uncommon for bands to have EPs that serve the intention of mixings songs that are familiar and others that are rather experimental. While the cover song felt more like a filler than an actual song, I would still regard this EP as interesting as it had certainly piqued my curiosity and led me to anticipate their next full-length album. I would recommend to any fans of Isis, Obscure Sphinx or Cult of Luna.

Rating: 7.4 out of 10

Review by Jerome on May 13, 2020.

Post-metal, or atmospheric sludge, is a genre that shaped a lot of the modern sound found in other styles, be it in the progressive metal, blackgaze or post-black metal. The experimental approach to textures and the emphasis on atmosphere and sound rather than riffs and chords made the genre apt for comparison with the similar movement experienced in the rock scene, namely post-rock. In fact, both genre, post-metal and post-rock shared more than just musical similarities, they both had punk (hardcore and post-punk respectively) as their stylistic origin. As such, post metal can often be seen as the blending of hardcore punk’s aggression, doom metal’s thick sound and post-rock’s emphasis on textures and atmosphere.

Moanaa’s 2019 EP Torches is clearly influenced by this post-metal scene as their two main songs, 'Inflexion' and 'Red', are reminiscent of the sound Isis and Pelican used in the mid-2000s. This comes as an interesting progression as the polish band experimented with a more technical, almost noise rock-ish sound on their 2016 release Passage.

The first song, 'Inflexion', quicks off the record with a very aggressive tone, having a tremolo picked riff overlaid with aggressive hardcore shouting and a chugging rhythmic guitar. The hardcore influences are noticeable for the first minute and a half up to which point the beat slows down and the aggression leaves way for a highly textured atmosphere. Having this very slow and peaceful atmosphere mixed with K-Vass, Moanaa’s vocalist, continued anguished shouts does give way to a very interesting contrast of sound. The song continues ebbing and flowing into slower parts intertwined with crescendos and intense parts. While 'Inflexion' is quite short by post-metal’s standard, clocking in at 7 minutes, the song has all the features one would expect from post-metal.

The second original composition on this EP is the third song, 'Red'. In this song, Moanaa decided to dial up the atmospheric aspect of their music by opting for cleaner vocals and slower tempos. While it could be argued that had the first song was predominantly focused on the post-metal/atmospheric sludge elements, this second composition opts rather for a progressive sludge approach. The song starts slow and builds up to a very heavy and thick sound characteristic of sludge. By the middle of the song, what appears to be a decrescendo ends up being a quasi-breakdown with the clean vocals enveloping the listener in a thick atmosphere. While 'Red' is certainly interesting, the various build up feel forced and the middle section of the song tends to drag.

The second song of the EP, 'Without you I’m Nothing', is a cover where the original song is credited to the UK band Placebo. As such, this song attempts to bring a post-metal vibe to an alternative rock song. While the atmosphere and texture are quite on the spot, the song ends up missing a key component for what makes atmospheric sludge so compelling. This missing ingredient is the ebb and flow of aggressive and loud to the mellow and introspective. Sadly, the song ends up feeling kind of awkward and out of place.

It is not uncommon for bands to have EPs that serve the intention of mixings songs that are familiar and others that are rather experimental. While the cover song felt more like a filler than an actual song, I would still regard this EP as interesting as it had certainly piqued my curiosity and led me to anticipate their next full-length album. I would recommend to any fans of Isis, Obscure Sphinx or Cult of Luna.

Rating: 7.4 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 9, 2019.

A few days ago, I read the following statement: "true greatness of the split recording lies not in the simple addition of two bands of mutual respect and admiration, but much more so in the ability to merge those qualities into something that truly stands on its own merits". Well, I am no expert for "true greatness", but sometimes I can identify true nonsense very quickly and this quote falls exactly in this category. So, it makes more sense to speak about the content of the here selected album than to lose many words about its format.

Behexen's songs profit from a better sound than those of Horna and so I begin with the contribution of the spiritual fathers of immortal classics such as "Fist of the Satanist". Too bad that their three songs with a remarkable duration of nearly 22 minutes cannot compete with giants like the aforementioned song from "By the Blessing of Satan". The dudes present the typical approach and the results are convincing, no more, no less. The tempo changes ensure an acceptable degree of dynamic, some icy guitar lines show up and the rumbling overall approach explains the general view of the band on black metal in a matter of minutes. "Beyond the Shadow of My Lord" is a little bit too long, but it houses some very dark instrumental parts, full of power, strength and hellish flair. Not to mention the opening riff of "A Distant Call from Darkness". It carries the group through the entire song and shows that Behexen are probably the most competent black metal force from Suomi. (77%).

The contribution of Horna seems to be recorded underwater, in a stinking bin or in a sound studio without functioning microphones. Everything sounds dull, flat and blurred. This affects the impact of the compositions inevitably. Their sinister scenarios remain vapid and, to be honest, the riffing also does not reveal overwhelming skills. Albums like "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" or "Under a Funeral Moon" have already been written and therefore I have to question the motivation of Horna to publish similar tunes in a similar sound. However, if one can't get enough of raw black metal in a low budget frame, feel free to enjoy Horna's four pieces on this split. Yet in my humble opinion, they have much better tunes (55%). 

In a nutshell, it's a partially strong split, but "true greatness" is missing here. Both formations show their solidarity with the real underground, to express it in a positive way. That indicates a laudable mentality, but it does not make the songs themselves more valuable. So, check out whether or not it makes sense for you to become familiar with this work.

Rating: 6.6 out of 10