• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Japanese Death/Thrash band Death Horn was formed just two years ago. The band's 3-track demo, It Pierces Through a Brain, was their first outing, which obviously reached the ears of Jero of Japan's Captured Records.

Black Forest, the 7-song debut from Death Horn, seamlessly combines Thrash Metal with melodic Gothenburg-sounding Death Metal. They may lack some of the sharpest technical finesse but they make up for it with their enthusiastic willingness to play the kind of Metal they seem to love most, always a good sign. Death Horn play an enjoyable mixture of raw and heavy, at times even quite melodic, Death and Thrash Metal with Black and Doom influences, that manages to give quite a few pleasing moments to listeners. Vocalist Yuji not only growls but also shrieks a bit, using his Black Metal vocals effectively, not unlike Killjoy from Ohio's Necrophagia. It's his voice that actually brings things together for the whole band's advantage.

Black Forest is definitely a solid debut from Death Horn and now I have reason to expect much more from them in the future. The album's short length is a minus and I believe 35-40 minutes would have worked much better.