Horseback - Half Blood - review
Horseback - Half Blood - review
Tracklist
01. Mithras02. Ahriman
03. Inheritance (The Changeling)
04. Arjuna
05. Hallucigenia I: Hermetic Gifts
06. Hallucigenia II: Spiritual Junk
07. Hallucigenia III: The Emerald Tablet
A review by
Doc G. May 05, 2012
Ambient, psychedelic drone/noise-rock. Now, I'm not sure about you folks, but with tags like that, it generally means you're in for something laughably pretentious...Or I should say you lack the intellectual depth and capacity for abstract thought which is required to enjoy such music. Horseback don't seem to have any such pretensions. Half Blood has to be one of the most earthy, organic sounding albums ever recorded. It's simultaneously filthy & gentle. Soft, flowing riffs played through sour guitar tones. Throw some organs underneath, some buzzing black metal vocals on top, and you've got yourself a tasty mold sandwich.
Yeah, it's got those incredibly zonked-out ambient droners like "Inheritance (The Changeling)" or the Hallucigenia trilogy, but it's tastefully paired up with other tracks with more tangible guitar work, which make up the remainder of the album. In other words, Half Blood is an album that works on two levels; music for sober people, and music for people who have clearly taken too many drugs...Or people who want to feel like they've taken too many drugs.
With Half Blood, Horseback have shown that accessibility is not arbitrarily a negative thing. This is a very creative album that doesn't pander to you with any instant-gratification type gimmicks, while it also doesn't alienate with a strict regimen of pretentious time wasting. Dark, trippy and engaging is Half Blood in a nutshell.
Comments
Comments:
17
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 Posts: 11933 |
Posts: 11933
I'm very curious about this album, will definitely be checking it out, especially after this review.
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| !J.O.O.E.!
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 Posts: 21306 |
Posts: 21306
This band got me interested in noise/drone when I bought a compilation a year or two ago. I definitely don't actively listen to the genre but I'll always check out new Horseback records. I remember one of the songs from this being posted in the 2012 rec. thread and I thought it was awesome. Your review makes me feel like that opinion won't change once I spend a good couple of days listening to the entire thing.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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Posts: 9726 Written by [user id=4365] on 05.05.2012 at 15:44 Gotta love digitial promos. I feel like such a champ listening to albums...*checks watch*...3 days before they come out. Here's a nice teaser for you.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| !J.O.O.E.!
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Posts: 1752  |
Posts: 1752
One more reason for me to hate my pc being broke! Glad to see they finally get proper recognition for their work. Only two more weeks and this will definetly be one of the first album I order if not the first.
---- You cannot sedate all the things you hate - MM The Observer is the source of reality - Bloom God damn it!! What did Diddy didn't do? - Satan
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 Posts: 5277 |
Posts: 5277
Hmmm, I seem to remember trying out Gorgon Tongue and NOT liking it. I'll give this one a try.
---- rekt
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| !J.O.O.E.!
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| Posts: 5277 |
Posts: 5277 Written by [user id=4365] on 05.05.2012 at 17:28 Ah yes, thanks for the link. This sounds like something I might like.
---- rekt
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Posts: 95  |
Posts: 95
Sounds great, not pretentious at all, and the review is excellent!
---- wimps and posers leave the hall lol
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 Posts: 1703 |
Posts: 1703
Sweeeet. I didn't know this existed. More from Horseback this year is not bad at all. Their split with Pyramids is good, but maybe at times a little to drone I just end up spacing out.... maybe that's good.
---- Coldgrits
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 Posts: 7894 |
Posts: 7894
Terrific. Sadly i never gave this band a few spins, probably, i don't understand them really well. But being through some of their singles/records, they're just too good. My friend gave me their mix stuff ripped a CD in the union last year by saying "it's my goddamn favorite one band only! you just check this out" and opening their stuff for once I just forgotten what this band is all about? >> eventually that makes me keep it out of them. But dropping this bomb shell again, i will surely see now what they have to impress me.
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 Posts: 9570 |
Posts: 9570
I haven't heard much if horseback, but I have been getti ino to drone/noise lately so I will check this out.
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Posts: 153  |
Posts: 153
Listened to the song on bandcamp, and this album seems like it's going to be awesome. Great reviews are flowing all around the place, so can't wait for the release date! Thanks for the review
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 Posts: 8902 |
Posts: 8902
I just finished listening to this record. I liked it a lot. A slightly more melodic version of Om, perhaps.
---- (space for rent)
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