Gig Review: Hornthrone 2014 (Daarchlea, Sammael Abraham, Artefacts, Nothing Underneath, Massacre Conspiracy)

Editor's Note: It is unfortunate that we made the mistake of not hosting older versions of the photos our site. We also did have any back up photos. So the photos below were cobbled together from various other sources. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Written by Howe Foo

Well now, salutations. Howe here, for my first review of the Hornthrone gig, also Daarchlea's album launch!

Terence has given me the privilege to be a part of Audiocancer (currently known as Aural Chaos). Apart from being able to check out a whole lot of material I probably would've missed out on, he also bribed me by giving me his Hornthrone ticket. Kidding. He had something on so I attended on Audiocancer's behalf. Held at Alt HQ, Fahrenheit, the gig venue was pretty sweet. It's seriously hard to find, as it's not within the main compound of the mall. 


It's actually located in a very narrow path inbetween the mall's outer walls and the inner compound wall. So take note of that, as a bunch of metalheads and I were lost for quite some time looking all over the place, like idiots. I'd say it could comfortably fit 150 people. Posters and massive banners were pasted all around, indicative of quite a bit of finances spent on promotional ephemeral.

           Posters distributed at the venue for RM2. (Editor: No, that is not Howe. It's from their FB page)

Hornthorne in local papers.

The first band to perform was Nothing Underneath. Hailing from Ipoh, they were a good start for the gig. They were easy to headbang to, and very pleasant to the ears. They made use of a lot of Egyptian, Middle Eastern-ish scales in several of their songs, well-interpersed with generous use of strings from the keyboardist. That keyboardist also took vocal duties! He'd do growls when there were no keyboard sections required. Quite a rare and interesting way of sharing duties. The vocalist himself was quite alright with his growls. Heavy breakdowns also pervaded their set. All in all, very energetic and a perfect choice for openers.

Nothing Underneath. | Source: @bobvizard

Nothing Underneath. | Source: The Rock Show

Next up was Sammael Abraham, also from Ipoh. These guys oddly reminded me of Behemoth, but with a few different touches. The vocalist had awesome low growls. Clear, powerful and pleasant to the ears. His high-pitch shrieks, however, honestly had a lot to be desired. They sounded off in every single way, out of tune and out of place. I honestly thought it killed a bit of the amazing atmosphere they were otherwise creating. 

Sammael Abraham. | Source: Asyraf Zulkefli 

He sounded like an unrefined Dani Filth, and as a fan of Cradle of Filth, that's no compliment. However, kudos to the bassist who played fingerstyle, playing as fast as the guitarists who did lots of tremolo picking; yet they didn't sound overly black metal. One guy from the audience did shout that the vocalist was handsome, and well, as a straight guy, I've gotta agree.

Sammael Abraham. | Source: Asyraf Zulkefli 

Sammael Abraham. | Source: Asyraf Zulkefli 

Massacre Conspiracy played next, and almost everyone in the underground scene knows them. As one of Malaysia's biggest post-hardcore bands, they have a huge following and if the crowd was revved up for the first two bands, Massacre Conspiracy took it up to a whole new level. The crowd knew the lyrics to their songs, and the band were pumped up on stage. I hate to generalize, but Massacre Conspiracy sounds like fellow, local metalcore/post-hardcore bands I, Revival and S.O.G. Growls, cleans and hardcore breakdowns were done in their usual fashion, with lots of energy from both crowd and band.

After a half hour break, Artefacts, a progressive metal band, played next. My old friend Iskandar is one of the guitarists, and I was eager to see what he'd founded with the other members, as I remember him being a very talented musician in several instruments. All dressed in smart, buttoned attire, their look of the typical office employee didn't dull their performance at all. 

They were fantastic. The guitarists each did, long, complicated runs and very technical solos that really impressed me. Lots of odd-time mixed with a few heavy "chugging" sections; very tight. They were perhaps my favourite, apart from Daarchlea. Fun fact: The vocalist looks a lot like Adrien Brody (he used an old school microphone too).

Artefacts. | Source: Asyraf Zulkefli 

Artefacts| Source: Asyraf Zulkefli 

And of course, the headliners - Daarchlea. I'd heard of the band before, but never really listened to their stuff until Terence let me hear what they were capable of. As his review of their debut album "Suns" thoroughly described, they've got amazing band members all around. Live, they were no different. And I mean that in an almost literal sense. Having been on a listening spree of their album a week before this gig, their live performance consisted of only tracks from the album and they were so tight and played so well that they may as well have played their album from a CD player and you probably wouldn't know it. 

Daarchlea | Source: @bobvizard

Heavy incense filled the air before their set started, which made the experience all the more better, with their songs. Plus, the pungent scent of sweat from all the headbangers was eliminated due to the incense. A nice bonus. Having heard the vocalist switch between low growls, high shrieks and clean singing on the album, I was curious to see how he'd pull it off live; switching between those three forms of vocals would be a very impressive sight to see (hear?) live. 

Daarchlea | Source: @bobvizard

Daarchlea | Source: @bobvizard

Daarchlea | Source: @bobvizard

Daarchlea | Source: @bobvizard

Crowd at Hornthrone | Source: @bobvizard

Alas, while he effortlessly switched back and forth between low growls and high shrieks, there was no clean singing. As in, none at all. Now, I don't know whether being overly familiar with the songs made me fill in the cleans in my head during their set, but I heard nothing when there was supposed to be clean singing. They made no effort to hide it either; the microphone was nowhere near his mouth for the cleans and none of the other musicians had mics on them. I was honestly a little disappointed, but well, I guess there are certain compromises when playing live, for any band. A funny thing to note, I smiled a little to myself when I heard their song Qhilav played, as there's one small section that sounds exactly like V3 of O2Jam fame. Having only heard it in the game and on their album, it was amusing to see him play that part live.

Daarchlea | Source: https://www.facebook.com/artherockshow

Regardless, Daarchlea played all, or nearly all (I didn't quite keep count) the songs off their album, which began with their chants on "Birth, The Beginning" all the way to their finale "The Great Extinction". When it was time for the last song, the vocalist was pretty adamant about that, possibly implying no encore. All he said was "Last song" and when the crowd jeered he repeated more indignantly "LAST SONG!" before starting the song. 

Crowd at Hornthrone| Source: https://www.facebook.com/artherockshow

The crowd was phenomenal while they played, with crowdsurfers kicking everyone below them and a huge number headbanging. When they finished, you could almost feel the electricity from the whole gig. On a side note, the vocalist dressed up just like he did on the cover of the album; something the rest of the band members didn't follow. They were very engaging and warm with the crowd after the gig, taking several photos when they were done.

Daarchlea | Source: https://www.facebook.com/artherockshow

My phone battery also died, leaving me stranded at Fahrenheit. But well worth it. Truly an enjoyable show.

Howe Foo is based in Kuala Lumpur, from Canada. Plays bass in Prog Metal band Ataraxique. He will have a bone to pick if you think evolution is hocus pocus

Daarchlea - Suns

Daarchlea is one of those bands that use elements that Metalheads are used to, elements that are familiar to the senses of those who dabble in such music yet are able to create something different. On the surface, one could easily throw names like Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir or to a certain extent, Emperor to describe the music played by this band.


While from their past releases there is a slight tinge of Middle Eastern scales in the music, the music on Suns barely has that but move on closer to the modern Black/Death sound, but with light clean vocals sprinkled on top. What is interesting about this band, and made them slightly different from their peers is that the band has decided to use Islamic themes and imagery in Suns.


From the lyrics, touching about creation from an Islamic perspective, to Islamic theology on Qhilav, the band was able to pull it off without feeling as if being forced fed while reading the lyrics or listening to the tracks. Everything is done in a semi-vague manner that uses Arabic terms, giving a sort of exotic feel, like the first time I read lyrcis by Norwegian bands who uses terms from Norse Mythology or how Anaal Nathrakh uses legal terms of Latin origin.

One may say it’s the band’s shtick. Considering how Islam plays a huge role in the daily affairs of a Malay-Muslim in Malaysia, this whole image is honest. In fact, as a non-religious man myself, I would say that this pretty bad ass.

Last I recalled, Malaysia wasn't as cold as Norway.

Since this isn’t an anthropology paper, let’s get back to the record. What struck me most is how every single element is represented greatly in the songs. Firstly, the vocal range by vocalist Al-Matin (Which actually translates to “The King” in French. I have no idea if he knows it though), is amazing. He could pull off deep growls that could very well fit in a Cattle Decapitation record and you could easily hear the words he enunciates. This isn’t some random growls that you could throw in a not figure out the words even when not reading the lyrics.


On the flip side of the coin, the Black Metal influence on the shrieks were done in a tasteful manner, that does not sounds like an annoying Dani Filth but sound closer to what Ihsahn pulled off in Anthems. To me, it was sort of surprising considering the band claimed to have Cradle of Filth as an influence in past interviews. While Nergal could be cited as an influence, none of the vocals were the mid-range bark that Nergal has.


As mentioned above, there were clean vocals here but don’t expect deep operatic vocals like Dimmu Borgir but you can expect vocals that are pseudo-calming like Ulver’s Bergtatt but used in a manner that wants to be operatic. The guitars were crisps clear and the modern production definitely helped a lot here. Every single riff had a purpose the transition between haunting guitar tremolos that they pulled off from a Norwegian Black Metal textbook really shines in between the modern Death Metal punches.


The Death Metal riffs aren’t the old school semi-thrash sounding riffs or even the New York, slam inducing riffs but its closer to the more to the straight up modern Death Metal of Kataklysm. There are NO GUITAR SOLOS here but who says you need guitar solos to create good extreme Metal? The riffs here are amazing enough that I don’t have much to complain.


However at one or two times the band sounds as if they were about to transition into a breakdown, making me fear that all that amazing energy accumulated might just go to waste. Then again, that is just a minor gripe and my bad experience of listening to the multitude of Deathcore clones that just doesn’t try to be different from one another.


Another thing that was ringing through my mind is that I wish the band has the bass cranked up higher. The bass here just sounds as if was a hitchhiker along with the ride. Like any traveller, he might have something interesting to say but at the end of the day he is not in the driver’s seat.

Daarchlea @ Rock The World '13. Sort of like a Malaysian Soundwave or Download Festival where bands of various genres play here so there will be Metal bands like Daarchlea thrown into the mix.

This is all layered by amazing drumming that uses the double pedals sparingly but has a knack of using the snare as every good Black Metal band should. The drum rolls to transition from part to another were amazingly connected that it felt like glue. If it weren’t present, the parts would just sound jarring and might fall apart. A lot of bands just skip the transition and expect that two drum beats could connect, and expect the band to just go on.


There are times it could work, say when the band is trying to pull off a surprise tempo change, just like how Cephalic Carnage does from time to time but a band that tries to put glue to different parts, will have to realize that you do need an adhesive, and that adhesive are those amazing drum rolls. Kudos on that.  


On the keyboards, yes keyboards. This is where the Cradle of Filth or Hecate Enthroned influenced comes in. Not only the keyboards replace the orchestra, they add a whole different atmosphere when the Death Metal sets in. It turns it from the conventional Death Metal to the soundtrack of a decapitator in medieval dungeons. Though I’m sure that is no what the band wants you to imagine with their lyrical themes but that is how it sounds like. The piano at times takes the leads and becomes the driving narrative.


On tracks like Qhilav, the piano sets up the battlefield before the battery charges in, creating that mystical feel, almost Goth-like set up. To add another twist to the band’s style, the piano takes it’s time to shine when all the other instruments are set to rest for a minute and gets accompanied by the sound of a Kompang in the instrumental track, Ascend to Arasy.


Kompang for the uninitiated is a Malaysian folk instrument that is similar to a tambourine with Arab origins, normally played during weddings.


I could assume that in future albums the band would add more of the Malaysian influence into the music.

#Hornthrone
Check out Daarchlea playing Suns in it's entirety on the 27th. Don't forget to stop by.

By the end of the record, it will dawn to you that this is a great example of a great modern sounding album. Everything is glued together without sounding so jarring. While many bands decide to combine various genre to create something unique this band combines the genres to make something that feels familiar on the surface but then later on closer inspection shows something slightly different.


The tone, or probably the musical “accent” that the band has, gives the band identity. I remember a while back in an interview that Mirai of Sigh said that them speaking Japanese 24/7 probably have accidently led to the band putting in their accents or the more melodic elements of the Japanese language into their song writing elements.


That probably made the band sound different from their other Black Metal peers. Daarchlea’s Suns, just like the amazing Malaysian record, Langsuyr’s Asyik has accidentally added the tone, the accents of the language or elements they pick up in life. It sounds Malaysian, it has the musical feel of a Malay-Muslim musical heritage and that is probably what made Daarchlea sound different from the rest. Get it for excellent Malaysian Black/Death Metal.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daarchleaofficial

Daarchlea - Dher Phalse Mesaya

I'm not a Muslim, nor am I a religious man. In fact, agnosticism and skepticism, has always been proper descriptors to my "belief system" ever since my teens. So when I first heard that there is a band that uses Islamic imagery and Arabic/Middle Eastern influences in their music I was a bit skeptical.


Not so much on the usage of Middle Eastern influence in the music but how well do Islamic teaching goes with metal, and in this case Melodic Death Metal with Black Metal influences. Bands like Melechlesh, Behemoth, and even Nile have well integrated Middle Eastern influences in their music. Christianity has also dabbled with Black Metal, ranging from utterly cheesy "I love Jesus" but in a pagan-esque way, to the old testament, vengeful God portrayal that could make me say "Hallelujah" in a heartbeat.


The closest I thought an Islamic tone ever work in Extreme Music was in a sarcastic manner like what the Hardcore Punk band, Fearless Iranians From Hell had as a gimmick. Even Taqwacore Punk bands were sort of cheesy.

By the time I saw this videoclip, let's say my skepticism has sort of quelled. The Islamic imagery seems to work well, akin to the Old Testament vibe that most Christian Metal bands have. The band however employs a sense of Sunni-Supremacy ideologue (to a certain extend, I suspect anti-Shiite), for the lack of a better term. Also, clearly showing the influence on their song title. "Dher Phalse Mesaya." Reminded me of the Muslim Hardcore Punk badasses at the end of the movie Taqwacore, Bilal's Boulder. Whether they should be celebrated for those views, it's up to you to judge. I'm not here to be Reza Aslan or to debate the tenets of a religion that I only understand the basics of.

Now on the music instead. The band employs quick paced melody lines, and by quick paced I mean alternating between blast beats, complex rollings and your regular Death Metal double bass.Now judging from that song only, the band does not seem shy to show their Black Dahlia Murder influence. At times they jump to Dimmu Borgir like clean vocals that somehow managed to fit well into the song. Normally when bands copy Demon Burger, they order an extra slice of melted cheese with it. The droopy ones were my concern. All in all, I can say the track sounds like a very melodic Behemoth, with clean vocals towards the end.

Now these, bad boys (maybe holy would be a better adjective) also have an album, coming out this 27th of August. Even their album inlay has the Arabic influence all over it. To be honest, I thought this was a nice alternative to the typical artwork most Metal bands had.

Don't forget to check out Suns, on the 27th of August and their album launch where they will be playing the whole album, on the 27th of September at Alt HQ, Bukit Bintang. Will definitely be there.

https://www.facebook.com/daarchleaofficial

Terence A. Anthony commutes between Kuala Lumpur and Kuching. Co-Founder of Aural Chaos. He also writes for Greater Malaysia and Opinions Unleashed.