Moonlight Sorcery – Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle (Review)

This is the debut album from Finnish black metallers Moonlight Sorcery.

Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle contains 44 minutes of symphonic melodic black metal. However, beneath this simple description hides a deeper truth, that Moonlight Sorcery offer more than just black metal to enjoy here.

Essentially, Moonlight Sorcery play an old-school brand of black metal, one that has instant charisma. You can trace its heart directly back to the 90s, to bands like Dissection, Limbonic Art, and Emperor, but also find the band reflected in such contemporaries as Stormkeep, at least to an extent. This caveat is an important one. Why? Because alongside all of this is a different set of influences to the norm. There’s a melodic brightness that recalls not only Children of Bodom, but also displays a clear power metal influence. This infection of melodic energy into the core of symphonic black metal is what helps Moonlight Sorcery stand out from the blackened hordes.

Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle is well-written and authentically rendered. It’s both cold and warm, delivering frozen atmosphere alongside molten solos and warmly epic melodies. The music’s dark atmospheric presence is offset by its melodic energy and its majestic sense of character. It’s a fast-paced journey filled with expressive leads and gripping solos. Honestly, this is a band that can shred with the best of them, which is not something you can usually say about black metal.

In many ways this is a guitar-focused album, but that shouldn’t overshadow the other musical components. The drums are foundational and the synths essential for the music’s strong presence, for example. Additionally, the singer’s high pitched screams tear out of the music like liquid aggression, perfectly complementing the fluid solos.

Overall Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle offers a full package, one that’s resplendent in melodic might and grand personality. If you’re a fan of symphonic black metal, but want more melody and guitar heroics, then this is for you.

Very highly recommended.