Review: Horn – Apokalyps 1618

Review by Justin Joseph

Horn – Apokalyps 1618

Record Label: Northern Silence Productions

Year: 2026

Rating: 9/10

A simple sensation can evolve into an ineffable experience, no matter how miniscule it may seem, for once a connection is formed, the mind fans this ember into a raging flame. For it is like the hands that examine the coarse edges of a rock, thumbing its dirt between fingers; though crude, we look inwards and see the beauty and marvel that awaits within; such is the same with art …such is the same with music…

Horn’s “Apokalyps 1618” can be looked upon as an album which creates as it speaks; from speech a vast land is crafted, one that is weathered by the elements yet unspoilt by decadence. Sowing itself within the earth of Black Metal wherein its roots twist into a unique shape, Horn crafts a musical entity that presents itself as a reflective veil, as the soul peers into its essence to witness a time that has gone by, yet one that is precious, preserved and animated within the DNA of its musical shrine.

Horn

Continuing along a similar vein to previous counterparts, Horn utilizes a rather warm yet earthy tone which becomes the very building blocks of this album, whereby melodies converge together, erecting a natural landscape for one’s senses to inhabit.

While melody becomes the bone and sinew of this offering, it exists not just to accentuate the overall musical architecture, but instead it is the seed which germinates through the soil of this aural topography. For that which sprouts forth becomes the tangible aspect which interconnects with one’s mind, to experience and delineate the textures from each note and beat exhaled. “Die Ahren Gleich als mit dem Huf” and “Hiofan Mahnt” are instances which showcases the magick expelled from the strings, for within its audible, undulating,razor-like tone, it takes the typical Black Metal structure and like he who shapes the clay, the very notes are bent and molded into a harmonious melody as though it is the speech belonging to the loft trees or the very colossal mountain of stone.

If the musical edifice becomes the very citadel of stone and grass that renders unto the atmosphere its nature-like spirit, then the very voice becomes the river, robust and grandiose in strength that shapes and contours these raw materials. The track “Ergot” demonstrates this as the vocals become the anchor, imbuing a sense of gravitas to the surrounding terrain while becoming the very current that submerges the consciousness, allowing it to speak its language of motion. “At our bleakest” expands this notion by giving a contrasting sensation, for even though the waters of this river can be mighty in their current, there also exists a calming yet cathartic revelation. The shape in which the vocals unfurl upon this track blends melancholy and rage into beauty that blossoms into a jewel, reflecting the emotions from the core within oneself.

The mind yearns for new landscapes for which to discover, an experience to imprint upon, and within this bedrock of melodies, Horn manifests a sanctuary wherein its limbs become the roots that imbed itself into the soul as new contours reveal themselves with each passing movement.