HORRENDOUS – Ontological Mysterium

Now more than ever, it must be said: don’t judge a book by its cover. In this case, don’t judge an artist by their name. Horrendous defies the literal meaning of the word. You wouldn’t expect a death metal band to write about unicorns or paint idyllic landscapes, but the best term for them isn’t “horrendous”—it’s “elegant.”

 

The Philadelphia natives, now in South Carolina, showed their class with their debut, The Chills (2012), which, though raw, fit perfectly within the old-school style pioneered by Death and genre masters. Many bands have drawn from that well, but few have crafted something truly unique. Names like Blood Incantation or Tomb Mold come to mind, but Horrendous had already attempted such a blend: merging the past’s influences with a refined, original sound—evocative, majestic, and distinctive. They nailed it. Across Ecdysis (2014), Anareta (2015), and especially Idol (2018), the band weaves musical tapestries with sharp, unpredictable ingenuity: razor-sharp growls, dizzying riffs, fast rhythms, and spacious passages that recall Atheist’s technicality and Opeth’s emotional depth. Their vision lacks nothing, and their fifth album, Ontological Mysterium, reaches a peak.

 

Across nine tracks, the album flows smoothly and cohesively, while expressing a wide range of emotions. It pushes tension to extremes, then lets the mind wander. The opener The Blaze feels like atmospheric black metal, but the closer The Death Knell Ringeth delivers a burst of violence and groove. This dynamic continues throughout, with intricate, twisted structures and experimentation at the forefront. Chrysopoeia (The Archaeology of Dawn) is the most adventurous and the longest track, but more melodic cuts like Aurora Neoterica and Preterition Hymn impress with compositional finesse—especially the latter, which fades out with choral arrangements and nostalgic guitar lines. Yet, the band never neglects its aggressive side; the title track shows it with powerful growls, abrupt shifts, technical guitar, and precise bass.

 

We waited five years to hear Horrendous again in full brilliance—but it was worth it. Ontological Mysterium builds on its predecessor and emerges as a more compact, fresh, and contemporary effort. Its creators appear at the peak of their creative powers. Brothers Matt (vocals, guitar) and Jamie Knox (drums), with longtime friend Damian Herring (vocals, guitar), form the core, and with bassist Alex Kulick—who shone on Idol—they have elevated their game. It would have been easier to repeat themselves, but they chose to take risks—and succeeded, delivering another standout of progressive, experimental death metal, among 2023’s best releases.