Hordak - Under The Sign Of The Wilderness (2011)

Looking for some awesome pagan black metal? Well you’ll find it in Spain that’s for sure. The pagan metal band Hordak has recently released their new album entitled “Under The Sign Of The Wilderness.” The album has got powerful Viking guitar melodies along with some vicious black metal screams that will haunt you for days. All ten tracks are filled with upbeat excitement and electrifying guitars.

The album opens with a two and a half minute “Intro” which contains angelic acoustic guitar riffs along with majestic flutes that float gently on top. Its such a beautiful opener that it’ll make you wanna replay it before you even move on to the rest of the album. When you do move on to track two, you are hit hard with jack hammering guitar riffs and double bass pedal rolls in “722.” The guitar work is insane as the verse consist of fast chugging riffs mixed with groovy melodies that will make you throw you’re metal horns up and rock out. Double bass pedals beat you down throughout the track while thunderous bass lines accompany them. The vocals are full of rage as they are delivered in a screechy demonic growl. You’ll run into a wicked guitar solo towards the end of the track that is absolutely mind blowing. Whipping melodies run left and right surrounding you with gorgeous notes. When this fades off, upbeat guitar riffs pick right back up in “Spreading The Firewings.” A fast pace pagan melody comes roaring in sweeping you off your feet as you bob your head quickly to the beat. Relentless snares pound you into the ground while double bass pedals rumble heavy beneath you. The excitement and energy in this track will surely awaken you.

Machine gun drum fills fire away in “Under The Sign Of The Wilderness.” The melody is fast and the guitars chug away in speedy patterns. The vocals rip through you with their dark screechy lyrics. The song structure changes up drastically throughout the track as the tempo picks up and slows constantly. The drum patterns are hard to keep up with so make sure you play this one back a couple of times. “Monoliths” contains some interesting guitar parts. The use a solo like melody in between certain parts of the verses that really hypnotize you deeper into the track. Blaring guitar riffs continue to chug away while detailed drum fills control the tempo behind them. Get ready for some more intense double bass pedal drumming.

Later in the album you’ll come across “The Rising Of The Warhammer.” It immediately starts out with wicked guitar work throwing melody on top of melody in a fully distorted blaring mix of chaos. These guitar riffs alone will have you throwing up your metal horns and bashing your head to the beat. The drum rolls are phenomenal. Each fill is packed with snapping snares and colliding cymbals that echo off into the background. Meanwhile you’ve got double bass pedaling punching you in your face in each and every step. The bridge especially. All you hear are cymbals exploding on top of booming double bass pedals.

Hordak shows a more darker side of pagan metal as they deliver their demonic black metal screams and growls to accompany these upbeat melodic guitar riffs. “Under The Sign Of The Wilderness” is full of non stop catchy guitar riffs and thunderous drum fills which constantly draw you back to wanting to hit the replay button again and again. You definitely have to check this album out. It’s one you don’t want to miss!

9/10

Official Site - http://www.paganhordak.com/
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/paganhordak