Horrendous - The Chills

Horrendous
The Chills
2012 Dark Descent
This is the reason why Asphyx's "Deathhammer" isn't a slam-dunk for best album of 2012 (so far). Horrendous is an unholy US-based three piece that really managed to tap into something here. You might not catch it on the first listen, but on the first two tracks, they've kind of gone back and explored what might have been if Darkthrone had stayed a death metal band. The tone is pure death metal, done with the kind of distortion that usually can only be found within Scandinavia, but the overall style of the music has a lot in common with what Darkthrone has done over the years. There is a very strong black metal riffing style combined with the frostiest of cold vibes. But, starting with the third song, "Altars," things go in a more straightforward death metal sound with either Damien Herring or Matt Knox doing their best Martin van Drunen impression. Picture him fronting Entombed back in their "Clandestine" days, and you'll have a good idea what to expect. That's not a bad thing, mind you... but I really would have liked to hear more of the Darkthrone-inspired sound from those first two songs.