Pagan Metal subgenres have two different roots: for those melodic subgenres known, SKYCLAD is the main root, for "The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth" (released back on 1991) was a starting point; and for extreme ones, BATHORY gave a rich contribution with "Blood Fire Death", "Hammerheart" and "Twilight of the Gods" (of course some will complain about Viking Metal, but both genres are too near, and share many countless features). But as time passed by, more and more the genre became ample and rich in features. And such richness is inherited by the German one man band HORN, and it can be heard clearly on the band's latest release, "Mohngang".

On the album, it's a Pagan/Folk extreme Metal way that mixes 80% of Black Metal and 20% of other extreme genres. So the music can sound harsh and bitter in some moments, but with some shards of Folk/Pagan melodies, and it's enriched by cellos and some trumpets. Of course that such mix of elements was heard before, but the band has its personal charm, an energetic and melancholic appeal in the middle of aggressive parts, and the music becomes rich and really worthy of the attention of those that are fans of Folk and Pagan Metal. In reality, for those Metal fans with a very good musical taste.

Thorsten Baus signs the recording, mixing and mastering of "Mohngang". So the sonority is a fusion between the harsh and crude feeling of the Pagan/Folk Black Metal of the 90's, but always keeping things clean enough for the sake of the understanding of what is being played. It's very good and fits on what the songs express.

All the album's songs are very good, creating an ambiance where the listener is drowned into a different world as the album's being played. And "Satt Scheint der Sud der Tat" (with very good guitars and clean vocals), "De Står her Somsletta" and "Wär Nicht Traubhagel" (both very good tempos, with a solid work from bass guitar and drums, and contrasts with Pagan ambiances and aggressive moments), "Handkreis und Chor" (excellent clean introspective moments, and great pagan choruses), and "Ødegård und Pendelschlag" (very good clean vocals once more, contrasting with crude tuned guitar riffs).

The work of HORN is really very good, and although nothing new is presented on "Mohngang", its songs are really a dose of joy for Metalheads.