Horna - Musta Kaipuu (2009)

As one of the most prolific and long running black metal bands from Finland, Horna seems to always be releasing something. In the case of, 'Musta Kaipuu,' its essentially a compilation of leftovers from the, 'Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne' 2004 recording session. Oddly enough this release is no mere cash grab for the band or label as these ten songs are just as strong as the material that was officially released on the EESE album and in fact all of these songs are better than the average bedroom black metal nonsense we constantly see today.

The sound is exactly the same as its album counterpart, with of course heavy attention placed on the abrasive raw guitar tone, lo-fi production qualities and Corvus' raucous screaming voice, as always in the Finnish language too. One of the aspects that I enjoy about Horna is that there sound seems to shift between darker monotonous mid-paced compositions to more energetic numbers with total rockin' headbanging riffs.

'Piina' opens the album and its a prime example of Horna doing the rockin' thing, with a superb main riff and a powerful spirit behind it I honestly can say this is one of my favorite Horna songs. 'Aldebaranin Susi' seems to straddle between the two styles and becomes increasingly morose as it develops, while, 'Unohdetut Kasvot, Unohdettu Ääni' brings back that vigorous attitude with plenty of repetition and speed to please any raw black metal fan. 'Vuohenlahko' is another song with a meaty catchy main riff and an admirable drive behind the whole composition. Most of this release revolves around songs like this, but 'Oi Kallis Kotimaa' is something different as the riffs sound more akin to folk metal, while the vocals are performed in a cleaner style. Apparently this is also a traditional Finnish folk song, thus the fact that it sounds like Korpiklaani gone primitive.

As a whole this record might not appeal to the average black metal listener, but as a Horna fan I found it the whole fifty eight minute affair to be quite engaging. Also the artwork is brilliant - grim dude snoozing and getting a visit from some animated skeletons, fucking right! That being said, this is a great companion piece to, 'Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne' as well as just a solid release worth picking up.