Artist: Horn
Country: Germany
Label: Northern Silence Productions
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2026
Although Horn do not follow the same musical path as the pioneers of the pagan strand of metal, and are therefore not comparable to bands such as Bathory, Thyrfing or Falkenbach, this German band can now be regarded as one of the bigger names within Pagan (Black) Metal. Over the years, Horn have developed a sound that is now inextricably linked to them: heroic and epic. Of all genres, Pagan Metal is perhaps the one that is most difficult to pin down with a fixed definition. Whilst some might still include Amon Amarth under that umbrella, for others anything that sounds even slightly folk-inspired falls into that category. However, everyone will agree on this: Horn is Pagan through and through, both in music and aesthetics.
Not only is that a unique feat in itself, but it’s also the case that fans of ‘true’ Pagan Metal don’t necessarily have a great deal to look forward to. For that reason alone, a new Horn album is already surrounded by a sense of anticipation. For me personally, the band really took off during their time at Iron Bonehead Productions; ‘Turm Am Hang’, with its incredibly catchy title track, will always remain a favourite. They have maintained that balance between memorable songs and high-quality production on the albums that followed, thereby building their brand into something that has earned them the status of an established name, particularly within their home country.
As far as I’m concerned, the albums that followed my personal favourite didn’t bring any major changes; the standard seemed to have plateaued, with at most a further refinement of their own sound. This latest album, their eleventh already, is actually the first one where I sense a feeling of stagnation. It’s by no means a substandard album, but the sense of urgency and inspiration seems to have faded a little.
Nevertheless, ‘Apokalyps 1618’ is an album that can unmistakably be attributed to Horn and offers plenty of entertainment value whilst listening. All the elements a Horn album needs are present once again: the sing-along melodies, the dynamic songs, the epic pieces and the folk-inspired passages. Based on that observation, on paper the album can only be judged as yet another strong release, but in this case the problem lies in its lack of emotional depth. Without having much knowledge of Horn’s creative process, and knowing that the songwriting duo have been working together for quite some time, the reason for this is now a matter of speculation.
Whatever the case, ‘Apokalyps 1618’ won’t go down in my memory as a particularly memorable album; it just drifts by without any real standout highlights. Hopefully, this was simply a weaker moment in their discography, as virtually every band experiences from time to time. In any case, I’m still looking forward to the next album; I’m not giving up that quickly. What doesn’t help, either, and completely kills the ‘momentum’, is releasing six out of the eight tracks as pre-release singles: what a nonsensical and daft concept that is, really.
