Horde

Horde is the solo project of Australian musician Jayson Sherlock, formerly of Mortification and Paramaecium. Founded in 1994 under the pseudonym Anonymous, Horde is credited with pioneering 'UnBlack Metal' through the release of Hellig Usvart.

The album was a direct response to the burgeoning Norwegian black metal scene, mimicking its lo-fi aesthetic and 'True Norwegian Black Metal' branding while inverting its lyrical content to promote Christian themes. This caused significant controversy upon release, including rumored death threats from the Scandinavian scene. Musically, Horde adheres to the 'first wave' and 'second wave' black metal blueprints: high-tempo percussion, minimal melodic variation, and high-pitched shrieks. While Sherlock's later work under the name has occasionally touched on electronic and drum and bass elements, the project's legacy is firmly rooted in its contribution to extreme metal history. Critical consensus views Horde as a pivotal, if polarizing, figure that proved the black metal aesthetic could be decoupled from its original ideological roots.