Horde

**Labels:** | * Nuclear Blast Records
 **Live Members:** | Håvar "Gestalt" WormdahlKarl Fredrik "Kvest" LindBengt "Bøddel" OlssonAimon "Pilgrim" Rosén

**Horde**, originally **Beheadoth**, are an unblack metal band that formed out of Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. The project began in 1994, formed by an anonymous figure known as "Anonymous", a play on Euronymous of the secular black metal band Mayhem. The project would later be revealed to be that of Jayson Sherlock of Mortification and Paramaecium fame.

The project was all performed by Sherlock in the studio, with him performing all instruments.

## History

Jayson Sherlock recorded one album, *Hellig Usvart* ("Holy Unblack") under the pseudonym of Anonymous (a potential reference to Euronymous of Mayhem). Sherlock began the project after departing from Paramaecium the year before. The album was released by Nuclear Blast Records and later by Rowe Productions.

The project, despite popular belief, did not receive death threats, as claimed by Sherlock. He stated that all stories were "second-hand". Horde created the genre titled unblack metal, which was a play on a secular black metal band, Darkthrone, from the back of one of their albums, which they stated was "Unholy black metal". Sherlock turned that around stating that Horde played "Holy unblack metal".

The band played live on November 3, 2006 at a show in Olso, Norway with a full lineup. The lineup consisted of three members of Drottnar under the monikers of Kvest, Gestalt and Bøddel, with Pilgrim of Crimson Moonlight on Vocals. The band performed again in 2010 and again in 2012, however in 2012 without Pilgrim.

## Impact

Horde has had a major impact on the Christian metal scene, influencing several of Unblack metal bands and indirectly influencing others. While not considered the first Christian black metal band, with Antestor taking that mantle, Horde was the band to come up with title of Unblack metal, which was a play on Darkthrone's mention of performing "unholy black metal", with Sherlock changing it to "holy unblack metal".

Horde, alongside Antestor, Crimson Moonlight, Elgibbor and Frost Like Ashes, have become known as the most notable Unblack metal bands in the scene, officially or otherwise. Several bands have recorded covers of Horde songs, including Hortor, Christageddon, Malakh, and Symphony of Heaven. Christageddon went as far as to record an entire second album, just being a cover album for Horde, titled *Horde Tribute*, which was half of their debut, *Metal Unblack*.

## Members

**Current**

* Jayson "Anonymous" Sherlock - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Drums, Keyboards (1994, 2006, 2010, 2012)

**Live**

* Simon "Pilgrim" Rosén - Vocals (2006, 2010)
* Karl Fredrik "Kvest" Lind - Guitars (2006, 2010, 2012)
* Bengt "Bøddel" Olsson - Guitars (2006, 2010, 2012)
* Håvar "Gestalt" Wormdahl - Bass (2006, 2010, 2012)

## Discography

**Studio Albums**

* *Hellig Usvart* (1994)

**Live Albums**

* *The Day of Total Armageddon Holocaust: Alive in Olso* (2007)

## References

1. ↑ "MusikkOpp-ned oppnedkors!". Morgenbladet (in Norwegian). Oslonett. February 6, 1995. Retrieved on April 26, 2018.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sherlock, Jayson (October 25, 2015). "Jayson Sherlock of Revulsed (Mortification)". As The Story Grows. Interview with Travis Turner and Stephen Sarro. Retrieved on April 15, 2018.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 KeeperOfTheFlame (October 4, 2002). "Horde". Encyclopedia Metallum. Retrieved on April 27, 2018.
4. ↑ DukeofUnblackMetal (October 22, 2009). "Hortor - Ancient Satanic Rituals Are Crushed to Dust". Encyclopedia Metallum. Retrieved on June 19, 2018.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 benmoshen (June 1, 2013). "Christageddon - Metal Unblack". Encyclopedia Metallum. Retrieved on June 19, 2018.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Metal Unblack". Christageddon. January 1, 2014. Retrieved on June 19, 2018.
7. ↑ "Abnormal Killer (Demo)". Malakh. Nemesis Divina Production. February 7, 2015. Retrieved on June 19, 2018.
8. ↑ Of\_This\_Night36 (May 4, 2018). "Symphony of Heaven - Invert the Inverted Cross (Horde cover)". Encyclopedia Metallum. Retrieved on June 19, 2018.
9. ↑ "Invert the Inverted Cross". Symphony of Heaven. May 4, 2018. Retrieved on June 19, 2018.