Horde (band)
Encyclopedia
Horde is the single-album unblack metal
project of Australian musician Jayson Sherlock
, formerly of Mortification
and Paramaecium
. In 1994 the only album Hellig Usvart
was released on Nuclear Blast
. With a session line-up, Horde played live-shows in 2006, Norway, and in 2010 in Finland and Germany. Hellig Usvart proved to be a seminal release for the unblack metal movement, and the album was highly controversial in the secular black metal
scene at the time it was released.
("Holy Unblack") under the pseudonym "Anonymous" (a possible play on "Euronymous
", Mayhem
guitarist) and it was released on Nuclear Blast Records in 1994, followed by a later re-release on Rowe Productions. The title "Hellig Usvart" is Norwegian, a fact which led many to believe, while Sherlock was still anonymous, that Horde originated from Norway
, a fact backed up by the poor production quality on the album, considered to be a trademark of Norwegian black metal.
Upon the initial release of Hellig Usvart, a publicity campaign was launched throughout the black metal community, revolving around Sherlock being credited as "Anonymous". Unsuccessful death-threats were given to Markus Staiger at Nuclear Blast to reveal the identity of the anonymous musician who had created the album, although the identity of the musician was later revealed as Jayson Sherlock. Horde as an entity also received death threats for being a Christian band playing black metal. Upon original release in 1994, 4,000 copies of the album were printed. In 1999 Rowe Productions purchased all remaining copies and distributed them worldwide. The album has since been re-released on this label with an additional track entitled, "My Heart Doth Beseech Thee (O Master)". The album is difficult to come by and sought after by many.
Hellig Usvart
pioneered the previously unheard of genre of "unblack metal
" (sometimes referred to as "Holy UnBlack Metal"); since its release bands such as Dark Endless (also an unblack metal band with one member), Crimson Moonlight
and Antestor
have emerged as proponents of Christian unblack metal. The album is satirical of the satanic
black metal scene in that it twists common black metal phrases into a Christian ideal. The message of the album is generally the destruction and rejection of Satan
, in favour of God
. There is also direct and indirect praise of God
throughout the record. Horde's music is mostly simple, dark and very fast driving unblack metal-style with high pitch shrieking or growling vocals. Some songs such as "Invert the Inverted Cross" utilise double-bass drum work to drive the song. Keyboards are sprinkled in throughout the album as well and appear on such tracks as "Release and Clothe the Virgin Sacrifice".
Horde gave their first live performance at Nordic Fest
in Oslo, Norway on 3 November 2006, with Jayson Sherlock as drummer and vocalist and with help from three members of the Christian unblack metal band Drottnar
under the stage names Kvest, Bøddel, and Gestalt. The band played its second live show at Immortal Metal Fest, Finland
on April 17, 2010, with the same live line up as at Nordic Fest. According to the festival's website, Sherlock agreed to play the show because the festival celebrated its tenth anniversary. Horde was also announced to play at Germany's Blast of Eternity festival, November 2010.
Unblack metal
Unblack metal is a term used to describe musically black metal sounding artists whose lyrics and imagery promote Christianity. Such artists are controversial, mainly because black metal's pioneers, especially those of the Second Wave, intended to encourage hostility towards Christianity...
project of Australian musician Jayson Sherlock
Jayson Sherlock
Jayson Sherlock was the drummer for the Australian death metal band Mortification, which was considered to be a major pioneer in the genre.Sherlock was the founder of the one-man project Unblack metal band Horde, in which he played every instrument...
, formerly of Mortification
Mortification (band)
Mortification is an Australian Christian extreme metal band which was formed in 1987 as a heavy metal group, Lightforce, by mainstay Steve Rowe on bass guitar and vocals. By 1990, in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin, they were renamed as Mortification with the line-up of Rowe, Michael Carlisle on...
and Paramaecium
Paramaecium
Paramaecium was an Australian death/doom metal band formed in 1991. There is use of instrumentation like flutes, cellos and violins on some albums. Paramaecium is one of the few doom metal bands that focus on Christian lyrical themes and Christian concepts...
. In 1994 the only album Hellig Usvart
Hellig Usvart
Hellig Usvart is the debut album by Australian unblack metal band Horde, released in 1994 on Nuclear Blast Records. Upon its release in 1994, the album created a controversy among the black metal fans; death threats were sent to Nuclear Blast demanding the label to drop the album from its catalogue...
was released on Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
. With a session line-up, Horde played live-shows in 2006, Norway, and in 2010 in Finland and Germany. Hellig Usvart proved to be a seminal release for the unblack metal movement, and the album was highly controversial in the secular black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
scene at the time it was released.
History
Sherlock recorded one album, Hellig UsvartHellig Usvart
Hellig Usvart is the debut album by Australian unblack metal band Horde, released in 1994 on Nuclear Blast Records. Upon its release in 1994, the album created a controversy among the black metal fans; death threats were sent to Nuclear Blast demanding the label to drop the album from its catalogue...
("Holy Unblack") under the pseudonym "Anonymous" (a possible play on "Euronymous
Euronymous
Øystein Aarseth , who went by the pseudonym Euronymous, was a Norwegian guitarist and co-founder of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem...
", Mayhem
Mayhem (band)
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...
guitarist) and it was released on Nuclear Blast Records in 1994, followed by a later re-release on Rowe Productions. The title "Hellig Usvart" is Norwegian, a fact which led many to believe, while Sherlock was still anonymous, that Horde originated from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, a fact backed up by the poor production quality on the album, considered to be a trademark of Norwegian black metal.
Upon the initial release of Hellig Usvart, a publicity campaign was launched throughout the black metal community, revolving around Sherlock being credited as "Anonymous". Unsuccessful death-threats were given to Markus Staiger at Nuclear Blast to reveal the identity of the anonymous musician who had created the album, although the identity of the musician was later revealed as Jayson Sherlock. Horde as an entity also received death threats for being a Christian band playing black metal. Upon original release in 1994, 4,000 copies of the album were printed. In 1999 Rowe Productions purchased all remaining copies and distributed them worldwide. The album has since been re-released on this label with an additional track entitled, "My Heart Doth Beseech Thee (O Master)". The album is difficult to come by and sought after by many.
Hellig Usvart
Hellig Usvart
Hellig Usvart is the debut album by Australian unblack metal band Horde, released in 1994 on Nuclear Blast Records. Upon its release in 1994, the album created a controversy among the black metal fans; death threats were sent to Nuclear Blast demanding the label to drop the album from its catalogue...
pioneered the previously unheard of genre of "unblack metal
Unblack metal
Unblack metal is a term used to describe musically black metal sounding artists whose lyrics and imagery promote Christianity. Such artists are controversial, mainly because black metal's pioneers, especially those of the Second Wave, intended to encourage hostility towards Christianity...
" (sometimes referred to as "Holy UnBlack Metal"); since its release bands such as Dark Endless (also an unblack metal band with one member), Crimson Moonlight
Crimson Moonlight
Crimson Moonlight is a Swedish Christian black metal band which was formed in the summer of 1997 with the mere intention of recording a primitive old school black metal demo and playing one show before breaking up. However, the breakup never happened, and they have since recorded two EPs and two...
and Antestor
Antestor
Antestor is an extreme metal band formed in 1990 in Jessheim, Norway. Credited for starting the whole northern European Christian extreme metal scene, Antestor is the only Christian band to have an album released by Cacophonous Records, which has also released records by bands such as Dimmu Borgir,...
have emerged as proponents of Christian unblack metal. The album is satirical of the satanic
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
black metal scene in that it twists common black metal phrases into a Christian ideal. The message of the album is generally the destruction and rejection of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
, in favour of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. There is also direct and indirect praise of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
throughout the record. Horde's music is mostly simple, dark and very fast driving unblack metal-style with high pitch shrieking or growling vocals. Some songs such as "Invert the Inverted Cross" utilise double-bass drum work to drive the song. Keyboards are sprinkled in throughout the album as well and appear on such tracks as "Release and Clothe the Virgin Sacrifice".
Horde gave their first live performance at Nordic Fest
Nordic Fest
Nordic Fest is a weekend festival held annually in Decorah, Iowa, to commemorate the traditional customs and culture of Scandinavian countries, especially Norway. The event always occurs over the last weekend in July and often draws estimated crowds of 50,000 to 75,000...
in Oslo, Norway on 3 November 2006, with Jayson Sherlock as drummer and vocalist and with help from three members of the Christian unblack metal band Drottnar
Drottnar
Drottnar is a Christian extreme metal band from Fredrikstad, Norway. They formed in 1996. Drottnar has played at notable festivals such as Sweden's Endtime Fest, Norway's Nordic Fest, Switzerland's Elements of Rock, Finland's Immortal Metal Fest and United Kingdom's Destruction Fest and they...
under the stage names Kvest, Bøddel, and Gestalt. The band played its second live show at Immortal Metal Fest, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
on April 17, 2010, with the same live line up as at Nordic Fest. According to the festival's website, Sherlock agreed to play the show because the festival celebrated its tenth anniversary. Horde was also announced to play at Germany's Blast of Eternity festival, November 2010.
Albums
- Hellig UsvartHellig UsvartHellig Usvart is the debut album by Australian unblack metal band Horde, released in 1994 on Nuclear Blast Records. Upon its release in 1994, the album created a controversy among the black metal fans; death threats were sent to Nuclear Blast demanding the label to drop the album from its catalogue...
- (1994) - The Day of Total Armageddon Holocaust - Alive in Oslo 2006 - (2007)