Drawn And Quartered | Lord Of Two Horns | Nuclear Winter Records

 

 Drawn And Quartered emerged in the early 1990s from Seattle’s overlooked but determined death metal underground, first under the name Plague Bearer. With a raw, uncompromising style, they quickly distinguished themselves through demo tapes and incendiary live shows. Their 1998 debut, "To Kill Is Human," introduced their approach—tight riffcraft, thick atmospherics, and relentless aggression. Over the next two decades, the band released a string of albums, such as "Extermination Revelry," "Return Of The Black Death", and "Hail Infernal Darkness," refining their sound while remaining faithful to a vision forged in the darker corners of early 1990s death metal. Despite lineup changes and long silences between releases, Drawn And Quartered persisted with consistency, most recently releasing "Congregation Pestilence" in 2022 before returning again with "Lord Of Two Horns."

"Lord Of Two Horns" continues in the vein that Drawn And Quartered has carved for nearly thirty years: mid-to-fast tempo death metal dominated by low-end riffing, demonic vocal incantations, and an ominous, ritualistic atmosphere. It’s a dense and abrasive album, leaning heavily on rhythmic force and the interplay between discordant tremolo patterns and warlike percussion. Kelly Shane Kuciemba’s guitars are central to the sound—angular and suffocating—while Herb Burke’s vocal delivery remains guttural and bleak, avoiding theatrics in favor of a continuous pummeling cadence. Simon Dorfman’s drumming is muscular and punishing without overreliance on speed; restraint and control are often used to intensify the impact. Brandon Corsair contributes an additional layer of guitar work that enhances the churning density without making the overall sound feel overly technical or tangled.

The production avoids gloss in favor of a murky and oppressive texture that suits the material. It feels cavernous but not obscured. There's space between the instruments without making any element feel isolated. The mix emphasizes repetition and pressure rather than dynamic shifts or layering. Tracks bleed into each other with a consistent tone and pace, creating a listening experience that feels closer to an extended litany of death metal incantations than to a collection of individual songs.

Thematically and musically, "Lord Of Two Horns" aligns with the band’s long-established interests: occult violence, decay, ritual sacrifice, and profane imagery. What keeps it from feeling redundant is the sense of focus. It’s not an album that offers surprises or detours. Instead, it doubles down on what Drawn And Quartered has always done—deepen the pit they dig, rather than climb out of it.

"Lord Of Two Horns" may feel impenetrable to those unfamiliar with this type of death metal, but for listeners tuned to its wavelength, it delivers with exactness. It is unwavering, grim, and steeped in tradition without sounding nostalgic. It doesn’t shift direction. It doesn’t expand. It entrenches.

Score: 8.2