Hailing from the Netherlands, Terzij De Horde (loosely meaning ‘away from the horde’), is a veteran black metal band that has been around since 2010 with a slew of singles, EPs, splits, and two full-length albums up until this point. However, this album, their third, is the first time I have heard them. But will for sure be checking out their past releases, as this album slays.

Though touted as ‘black metal’, they lie in that same realm as Germany’s Downfall of Gaia, Dawn Ray’d, the defunct Young and In the Way, or Celeste, some classic Halo of Flies Records acts, and even the last Henry Kane album, meaning they have a little ‘post’ and ‘atmospheric’ black metal, as well as some crusty, hardcore influence, as well, especially in the feral, pained vocals.

Now, they certainly lean way more into the ‘post’ and crust side of things, rather than the ‘atmospheric’ or moody side, as the 43-minute album pretty well rips from start to finish, forgoing the languid dreamy atmospherics or intros and outros and getting straight to slicing, vicious riffs and never letting up.

From the opener “Each Breath A Flame”, to the 9-minute closer “Discarding All Adornments” (which is the lone track that does more traditional ‘post’ type builds, acoustics, ebbs, and some female spoken words), the album seethes and snarls with effective savagery and eloquence.

In particular, “Raise Them Towards the Sun”, “The All-Consuming Work of the Soul’s Foreclosing”, more controlled “Justice is Not Enough to Leave the House of Modernity”, and the excellent aforementioned closer (which both gives me Deafheaven vibes) have taught, shrill, but razor-sharp, blistering riffs that hit hard. And this makes for a really killer no frills album, that is one of my more left field surprises for 2025.

[Visit the band's website]

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