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Moonlight Sorcery - Horned Lord Of The Thorned Castle



8.2 | 281 votes |
Release date: 29 September 2023
Style: Melodic black metal

Owners:

53 have it
32 want it


01. To Withhold The Day
02. In Coldest Embrace
03. The Secret Of Streaming Blood
04. Yönsilmä
05. Vihan Verhon Takaa
06. The Moonlit Dance Of The Twisted Jester’s Blood-Soaked Rituals
07. Fire Burns The Horizon
08. Into The Silvery Shadows Of Night
09. Suden Tie (Wolven Hour Part II)

Top 20 albums of 2023: 5

Additional info
Released via Avantgarde Music.

Drums recorded in Wolfthrone Studios, Forsby, Finland.
Mixed and mastered at Unisound.

Staff review by
ScreamingSteelUS
Rating:
8.2
It would be safe to say that Moonlight Sorcery's inaugural full-length was one of the most anticipated debuts to hit the black metal scene of late. What's not so safe to say is the name of the album, which is somehow similar to but significantly more annoying than Gloryhammer's "Sword Lord Of The Goblin Horde". I think I would have preferred something in Finnish.

Read more ››
published 26.11.2023 | Comments (3)

Found in 35 lists
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Comments

Comments: 32   Visited by: 629 users
04.09.2023 - 00:02
Rating: 10
gavdann
Very excited to hear this album as the "singles" are a blast.

Melodic BM with dare I say it... power metal vibes.
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19.09.2023 - 17:53
Rating: 9
Anghellic67
Already premiered on Black Metal Promotion:

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19.09.2023 - 18:43
Rating: 9
Anghellic67
I'm not a fan of mixed languages in same album, maybe I'd rather hear only finnish. Not that big of a problem in the end because the music is really good. I can hear the power metal vibes too and there's even some small avantgardish bits here and there. The diversity actually surprised me quite a lot because I think the EPs were more straightforward melodic black. Really promising band
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21.09.2023 - 15:03
Rating: 10
Litvin
Sounds like COB/Kalmah+Dimmu/Emperor+Wintersun/Whispered in one bottle.
Epic, Atmospheric, Dark, Melodic, Metal.... this gold, beyond all the expectations really.

I wonder how many years every day you had to practice to play like that?

Oh I would be really disappointed that turned out it is all generated by AI 😭
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22.09.2023 - 01:20
tibosax
I'm expecting this will disappoint quite a few people considering the change in style. This is significantly different from the first EP, with way more power metal in it. At this point, it's much closer to Kalmah than it is to Stormkeep. But hey, I still think it's very good in its own rights, and I'm a sucker for Kalmah anyway, so I like it

Shade Empire could take a lesson from these guys...
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27.09.2023 - 05:00
Rating: 8
Vellichor
This looks cool as hell
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29.09.2023 - 13:03
Rating: 8
musclassia
Staff
A highly entertaining album, they've definitely gone much closer to melodeath/extreme power (although there is still a saccharine meloblack basis to some of it). I was slightly taken aback by the drum tone at the beginning, but I found it to be less noticeable as the album went on
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29.09.2023 - 20:07
Rating: 8
AndyMetalFreak
A Nice Guy
Contributor
It's pretty impressive stuff this, the extreme power metal with blackened vocals combo does surprisingly work, I must say. It's kinda like listening to a blackened Wintersun. But what really does it for me is the incredible solo's, The "Moonlit Dance Of The Twisted Jester’s Blood-Soaked Rituals" has to be the best solo I've heard so far this year.
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29.09.2023 - 20:23
Rating: 9
ChrisWinther94
I think this is album utterly amazing. Sounds like a mix of all of my favorite bands, from when I was a teenager!
I was banging my head from the beginning to the end

Top 50 Albums of 2023
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29.09.2023 - 22:46
Rating: 8
Vellichor
Wow I am so impressed, this an incredible debut. This has something black metal is usualy lacking for me which is great guitar solos! Awesome cover art, song titles, and great writing.
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30.09.2023 - 16:13
Rating: 7
Liafev
Wow, this is such a massive improvement from the EPs, I guess they finally got access to a proper studio, so the production is finally good.
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01.10.2023 - 22:56
Rating: 9
terroriser
As one of the esteemed users mentioned in one of the comments above: drums are annoying.

During first listen I could hear Nexus Polaris vibe from time to time which is not bad thing in my opinion. (How much longer one have to wait for Aria Galactica?)

Enjoying it but unlike most of you I am not keen on those power influences
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https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4i2hn2aUeKBtxzw8UN2EML?si=_gXZwweyShiek4Dmk5UzpA
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02.10.2023 - 06:21
Nejde
CommunityManager
Moderator
Written by terroriser on 01.10.2023 at 22:56

As one of the esteemed users mentioned in one of the comments above: drums are annoying.

During first listen I could hear Nexus Polaris vibe from time to time which is not bad thing in my opinion. (How much longer one have to wait for Aria Galactica?)

Enjoying it but unlike most of you I am not keen on those power influences


But you still rate it a 9 even though the drums are annoying and you're not keen on the power influences? Sounds more like you don't really like the album that much.
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02.10.2023 - 22:36
Rating: 9
terroriser
Oh dear. Big Bother eee I mean brother again...
I really don't care how my comment sounds to you. Don't like it? Unlucky

Just pretend I don't exist. Leave me alone. Find yourself some other victim to pick on
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https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4i2hn2aUeKBtxzw8UN2EML?si=_gXZwweyShiek4Dmk5UzpA
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02.10.2023 - 23:06
Nejde
CommunityManager
Moderator
Written by terroriser on 02.10.2023 at 22:36

Oh dear. Big Bother eee I mean brother again...
I really don't care how my comment sounds to you. Don't like it? Unlucky

Just pretend I don't exist. Leave me alone. Find yourself some other victim to pick on


I'm just saying that it sounds like you don't like the album, that's all. And it's a public forum, anyone can respond to a comment posted. Don't like it? Don't comment.
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06.10.2023 - 06:14
Rating: 7
RoyBoy432
Dr. Quark
An impressive, novel sound. Will I return to this band time and time again like I did upon hearing the novel sound of the debut records of, say, Children Of Bodom and Babymetal? No, I don't think so.
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07.10.2023 - 00:14
Rating: 7
no one
Liked the eps better tbh
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07.10.2023 - 13:02
Rating: 7
Nightmare^
Another album of the hype wagon. It's ok.
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09.10.2023 - 06:44
Rating: 9
Lulucifer
Very good blend of melodic black metal and power metal, I like both genres.
I wish other band could be as energetic and dynamic as Moonlight Sorcery in this album.
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14.10.2023 - 09:54
Rating: 10
Omid87b
WOW
I listened to the end without stopping and ENJOYED it
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22.10.2023 - 10:01
Rating: 9
Oldy86
Written by AndyMetalFreak on 29.09.2023 at 20:07

It's pretty impressive stuff this, the extreme power metal with blackened vocals combo does surprisingly work, I must say. It's kinda like listening to a blackened Wintersun. But what really does it for me is the incredible solo's, The "Moonlit Dance Of The Twisted Jester’s Blood-Soaked Rituals" has to be the best solo I've heard so far this year.



Same guitarist as Vansidian so needless to say he's had an awesome year. Both could easily get in my top 10.
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22.10.2023 - 10:06
Rating: 8
AndyMetalFreak
A Nice Guy
Contributor
Written by Oldy86 on 22.10.2023 at 10:01

Same guitarist as Vansidian so needless to say he's had an awesome year. Both could easily get in my top 10.

I actually didn't know that, thanks for pointing that out, it definitely explains a lot
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01.11.2023 - 22:52
Rating: 9
chomskeet
Blackened Kalmah was not something I thought I needed in my life, but apparently I did
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02.11.2023 - 19:51
Rating: 8
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Just listened to Hatebreeder and then put this on. Obviously very very influenced by CoB and Kalmah.

Still rips though. The synth is such a nice touch.
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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04.11.2023 - 17:30
Rating: 10
Metal Rasputin
I was sceptical at first, but found the whole thing incredibly satisfying. These guys have studied their CoB and Kalmah well.
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You've got a lot of guts. Let's see what they look like!
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04.11.2023 - 18:01
This is indeed a satisfying release. Yönsilmä In particular is killer.

Between this, Sworn and Blackbraid it’s a good year for meloblack.
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"Change the world. My final message. Goodbye."

~Last words of Harambe, seconds before he was shot, according to child he shielded from gunfire
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06.11.2023 - 15:42
Rating: 8
metalbrat
And that's some debut..!!!! Holy mf..... Yönsilmä is one of better songs of 2023 without doubt.
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In the beginning I was made of clay. Then I bit the apple and they changed me to metal 🤘
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20.11.2023 - 14:58
Rating: 10
gavdann
Falling in love all over again with this record today.

It's like the ghost of Eddie Van Halen has been channeled through the guitars on this record. So melodic, so addictive, so f***ing good!

The sky is the limit with this band if they can continue writing songs and recording albums as good as this.
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11.12.2023 - 21:56
Rating: 9
DarkWingedSoul
Why not horned lord of the thorned horde... or lordless horde, haha. jokes aside the album is great !
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30.12.2023 - 14:57
Rating: 9
Samot
This is pure Gold!!! What a amazing Debut!! DAMN!!! I waited all year to hear this on 12/30!!! For me, definitely one of the best albums of the year!!
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Um, Dois, Três, Quatro! Yeah! PORRA!!!
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