The album Mrtav is in its appearance distorted, consisting out of calm parts, for example the intro of the album and first track Heriotz (engl. death), where only a dulcet classic guitar plays up to a point where everything halts, the last accords get replayed, the track stands still. But also parts, composed with hateful, bristly vocals and jarring guitars, always following the calmer parts, the sound minimizes on a thin instrumental ground, where only the rhythm keeps the track alive. Hesperian Death Horse split their album into four tracks, four consecutive parts. They use for every song a different style of doomy metal, what leads to a clean composition of the whole album. With soft intros to the tracks, supported by a classic guitar and sometimes a small speech, Hesperian Death Horse creates a theme that runs like a common thread through the whole album.
Telling a story, about Kings and Death, sometimes dense and disturbing, other times calm and spooky. Glowing like a friar's lantern in the dark marches. The music lures you in and drowns you. The last song Morte (engl. the death) serves as the ending of the whole album, and uses a different style. At first it has the glance of being a post-metal track, until it fades away into a seemingly endless tension. But Hesperian Death Horse returns one last time, crashing once again brutally through your boxes, with hateful vocals, alternating between strong and bristly or fast breaking screams.
The vocals adds well to a tumultuous guitar. While the instrumental ground is not consistent, often interrupted, with melodious and melancholic touches everywhere, their tracks get a twisted style. Full of surprises Hesperian Death Horse expresses an off-the-wall atmosphere. The track Sturm(Part 3: Oni tu nisu) is one of my favorite track on this album, where the guitar enforces this atmosphere and also adds a reproachful perspective, full of condemnation, towards life and human, despising everything. The band added a speech in the middle of the song, supported by a shy guitar. As soon as it ends, the track regains its force, but this time slower, letting the listener dwell away.
Hesperian Death Horse composed an enjoyable doom metal album, heavy and dense. There is a lot to find in only four tracks, and re listening to it, makes you experience a whole new level of gloomy and blackish metal again and again.
Words: Luis Luethi
Hesperian Death Horse @ Bandcamp