[Artwork by Linda “Forestrolli” Piekäinen]
As some of you may know, I spent the better part of the entire summer listening to little else than power metal in preparation for The Top Power Metal Albums of All Time enterprise that ran here at Last Rites from around the end of May through August. That whole endeavor was a labor of love—over 30,000 words worth—but it came with an understanding that shifting back into the more extreme side of things would likely prove…a bit challenging. Not an unpleasant challenge, mind you, but one that would perhaps feel a little choppy at first, given the stark contrast between our most uplifting and golden realm compared to its antithesis that so willingly and voraciously delivers all the characteristic brutality, darkness and hurtling intensity one could ever hope to experience. Funny how we actively seek out such things.
Somewhere amidst all the very serious power metaling, though, I opted to wander a bit into the genre’s outskirts to take in some of the relatively uncommon extreme acts that have opted to incorporate power metal into their schematics, whether it be welded to death metal, “Viking” metal, doom, black metal, etc. Not really the super well known stuff such as Bal-Sagoth, Wintersun, Children of Bodom or Amon Amarth, mind you, but deeper into the Earth’s crust to find the hidden gems, with an exceptionally prolonged visit / reacquaintance with a fairly overlooked gem from 2006, Pegasus’ The Epic Quest. If the album remains unfamiliar to you, just know that such an oversight should be fixed sooner rather than later, as The Epic Quest absolutely rips, and it’s a model example of how to fuse black metal with a notably epic form of power. Not the easiest thing to track down if you prefer a physical copy, but it’s available on most streaming platforms, with Apple merrily listing it as, um, Theic Quest. [sigh]
So, what is it exactly that makes black metal and power metal such uncommon but viable bedfellows, one of you may ask? Well, we’ve all heard the adage “opposites attract” for the majority of our lives, and while it certainly doesn’t always work out in the most magnificent way imaginable, when that proper balance is struck and the two contrasts begin waltzing seamlessly, a paragon yin-yang effect can occur. Dark and light swoosh and swirl together, with the shadowiness and ferocity of black metal whipping in unison with power’s penchant for melodic hooks and fantastical narratives. They don’t really need to fully blend, mind you, just exist in the same space to generate a very unique form of energy inside that optimum balance. Easy, yes? Okay, not at all easy, as favorable renderings remain fairly rare, and those bands that opt to take the gamble risk alienating fans on one end of the spectrum or the other.
“Wait, Moonlight Sorcery? Aren’t they just… like, a melodic black metal band?”
WHO SAID THAT. WHO ASKED ME THAT QUESTION. ASK THAT TO MY FACE, YOU COWARD.
Whoop, my bad! It was just my subconscious. My unruly, meddlesome subconscious.
Probably a good time to mention the following: You may not hear power metal when you listen to Moonlight Sorcery, especially if you’re not particularly familiar with power metal’s characteristic antics. For those dear souls, Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle will likely sound like… Well, yeah, an excessively melodic black metal album with a fantastical / otherworldly narrative. And it is, in fact, precisely that. Plus, apart from a few well-placed “shadowy spoken word” passages, you will find ZERO clean vocals on the record, no superfluous interludes crammed with grandpa’s guitars and / or choirs, and ultimately not a lot evidence to leave you wondering if you just encountered Keeper of the Horned Lord’s Spare Set of Thorned Castle Keys Part I. So, no, you needn’t be a power metal freak in order to fall head over heels for this record. But holy Hell, if you DO love you some power—and I very much hope you do—there will certainly be multiple moments throughout Horned Lord where the only thing that seems to be missing is Fabio Lione approaching the mic with an ornate saber pointed in your direction. Listen to a song like “The Secret of Streaming Blood” for a bit of validation.
The song breaks from the gate with a great little riff that does a great job of building momentum, and all that’s really missing is a sudden “oooOOOOO-YEEE-AAAAAAWWW!” power scream after the moment’s pause before the heart of the cut takes over after about 30 seconds. Instead, we’re treated to a gnarled howl from a troll lurking beneath a rotted tree. Hey, both angles are victories, as far as I’m concerned, but Moonlight Sorcery opts for a classic black metal route as the song scoots into a wonderfully icy stretch that’s periodically broken by hints of melodic power woven into the fretwork. And that’s really the gist: It’s the melodic play of Loitsumestari Taikakallo that truly lends the power element to Horned Lord’s overall sound, and it fully manifests on “The Secret of Streaming Blood” when a hugely epic lead around the 4:45 mark sends the close of the cut sooooaaaaring. Sure, melodic leads by themselves do not necessarily equate to power metal, but Taikakallo’s style is certainly rooted in a classic form of the style, and that’s best represented by the most power-brewed song on the album, the magnificently catchy and intensely impish instrumental, “The Moonlit Dance of the Twisted Jester’s Blood-soaked Rituals.” This little jammer sets off all sorts of classic Stratovarius circa 1997 alarms, if Stratovarius circa 1997 was a little eeeeeeeeevil.
Probably a good time to mention the following: Loitsumestari Taikakallo is responsible for writing all of Moonlight Sorcery’s music, and he has freely admitted that he doesn’t spend a lot of time listening to black metal (Metal-Rules interview, 2022). Does that doom Moonlight Sorcery in the eyes of all the elite black metal werewolves, underlords and goblins roaming the groves, heaths and Gamestops? Fuck if I know. Maybe? It doesn’t really matter. Though I’m fairly certain anyone born in Finland post 1990 has some form of black metal imprinted on their DNA, and anyone who’s paid attention to Moonlight Sorcery prior to this full-length is well aware that the band knows how to black metal. Taikakallo’s counterparts—vocalist Ruttomieli and rhythm guitarist Haaska—are well versed in the style, and there’s plenty of icy darkness framing the yin side of the equation here, giving Horned Lord an adventurous “Moonsorrow sans folk” footprint. “Yönsilmä,” for example—it drifts from the gate like some lost Bloc metal demo from ’95 before jumping into a much more bracing form of cold. It’s still melodic as the day is long, of course, but it never fully lets go of that comforting melancholic edge.
Again, finding a way to strike a proper balance between light and dark / warmth and coldness is key here, and Moonlight Sorcery not only knows how to walk both realms equally, they do heelflips, nosegrinds and bomb drops in them. They own balancing multiple worlds, and the results are as uniquely gratifying as they could be bewildering for those who demand a more conservative approach to their favorite branches of metal.
Just in case it’s not imminently clear, you will be filing Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle under black metal, even if you happen to be one of those stiff cemetery devils who thinks the genre went soft the moment more than two colors were added to album covers. However, I do believe the album will be enjoyed to the umpteenth degree by those who don’t cower in the glorious presence of power metal. So if you happen to be one of those conquering heroes who doesn’t blink an eye when Sargeist and Stratovarius get played back-to-back, be sure to step to the front of the line; these fellows are about to drop one of your favorite albums of 2023.
And… And!… AND!!!…
If you can’t get enough of Matti “Loitsumestari Taikakallo” Meri-Huhti’s melodiousness, be sure to check out his empowered melodic death metal album from 2023: Vansidian’s Reflecting the Shadows.