Arghoslent - Hornets of the Pogrom Review
by Mark Hensch
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Judging a release as unabashedly uncompromising as Arghoslent's Hornets of the Pogrom is a hard thing to do. Without the slightest trace of remorse, this Virginian outfit scorns the political correctness of not just death metal but society as a whole. Nothing is sacred on an album like this, and hearing it is like reading a laundry list of people bound to be pissed off.
For starters, death metal purists will detest Arghoslent's unusual take on the genre. The order of the day is raw death metal with an emphasis on catchiness over brutality. Though most of the songs are instantly memorable, metalheads expecting unrelenting violence are instead greeted with driving riffs with less the punch of a death metal band and more that of a classic rock/thrash outfit. At the end of the day, it is a unique sound, but perhaps not the strongest.
Beyond this, the lyrical content is sure to churn some stomachs. Much of Hornets deals with the slave trade, colonialism, and modern war. As all three of these topics are highly controversial, the odds are that someone somewhere will be scandalized by what Arghoslent offers. The recurring theme of slavery in particular expresses this notion – it is often unclear whether Arghoslent are blatantly racist or merely satirical.
Such ambiguity will make an album like this a love-it or hate-it affair. Personally speaking, I view Hornets as a decent album vastly overrated by people seeking new shocks in their music. If one ignores the controversial subject matter, Arghoslent are one of two things. At best, they are an original band trying to turn their ideas into a cohesive identity. At worst, they are a bunch of competent musicians playing vaguely interesting death metal behind purposely "edgy" lyrics.
Despite my misgivings, I cannot deny that at times the band's formula works. Opening cut "In Coffles They Were Led" lets loose a barrage of squealing harmonics, furious riffing, and manic growls. The album's best track in "the Nubian Archer," meanwhile, attacks with death metal riffs as infectious as the Bubonic Plague. After this, "Oracle of the Malefic Rhizome" stabs listeners with some tremolo-picking, the likes of which devolves into a knife fight of kinetic violence.
Despite this, I cannot help but feel that Hornets is merely a good album, not a great one. The drumming here is largely inconsequential, inoffensive fare, while the guitars for all their innovative riffing suffer from a hollowness which weakens the blow. Having seen bigotry before in my life, their lyrics meanwhile seem childish rather than mind-blowing. In case one cannot tell, Hornets of the Pogrom neither offends nor inspires, but perhaps just languishes. Check this out and see if you agree.
Arghoslent's Hornets of the Pogrom
In Coffles They Were Led
Swill of the Knaves
Manacled Freightage
The Nubian Archer
Dog and Broom
Oracle of the Malefic Rhizome
Hornets of the Pogrom
The Grenadier
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Arghoslent - Hornets of the Pogrom Rating:7.0
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