Horskh have found their stride: racing ahead at full speed, sweeping everything aside in their path. Two and a half years after BODY, their new album MTNT explores genetic, social… and, of course, sonic mutations. Our transformations in the face of modernity and technology: this is the sort of cyberpunk theme we love, with just the right amount of futuristic body horror, as if to build on the themes of BODY. However, a doubt immediately weighs on us: since, defying all logic, we still hear people pronouncing ‘Horschk’ as if the H were placed anywhere, we hope these dyslexics won’t end up calling this new album TMNT instead of MTNT, although ‘BastienHeno’ could be a brilliant name for a ninja turtle.
We know the formula off by heart. Horskh goes at it fast and hard with their visceral blend of electro, metal, grunge and industrial. The tracks are short and pack in ideas by the second. MTNT, with its ten tracks, clocks in at under half an hour. Brace yourselves – you’ll need to keep up – and it kicks off, naturally, with a bang: Bad Glitch hits you right between the eyes, with chanted backing vocals, a biting melody lurking in the background, shifts in tempo, and Bastien Hennaut’s roars, which are as effective as ever at hitting you in the gut and unleashing tonnes of infectious rage. This hybrid, mutating entity, somewhere between man and machine, lies at the heart of Horskh’s music, which remains as embodied as ever and brimming with very human emotions that burst forth – spontaneous, powerful – like so many cries of rebellion, whether through the vocals, the rhythmic jolts that suddenly break free from their authoritarian straitjacket, or the melodies that hit the mark straight away.
MTNT is a firework display… who would have doubted it? A whirlwind of contrasts (the way Glow suddenly takes on a heavier feel) and an overload for our synapses (Twisted Flesh, with its frenzy and that panicked, alienating melody), MTNT constantly reminds us that, despite its club-oriented sound, Horskh’s music fully deserves the label ‘industrial’, as it exudes both a delight in experimentation and the sense that the machines are there to devour our flesh with a Testuo-esque appetite. The trio, firmly rooted in its era yet resolutely forward-looking, nevertheless revives the very best of the 1990s: churning out nasty, gritty, nihilistic hits where technical prowess is overwhelmed by the authenticity of the emotions, without losing sight of the song’s ability to strike a chord. The 90s have mutated into that bizarre monster known as Horskh
They promised their most “adventurous, extreme, violent, melodic, grunge and industrial” album. They didn’t lie to us: it goes off in all directions with mad energy, a delight for those who love offbeat explorations (Strange Game, a sort of weird mutation of 90s alternative rock with a cyber twist – very clever – or the autotune on The Party is Over and its dark trap influences, like remnants of PØGØ, which surprises with its melancholy and cinematic touch). Above all, it’s unstoppably effective from start to finish, with every track a steamroller with anthem potential, a succession of instant classics (Hyperhuman, Target Fades' aggression, Quicksand: it’s love at first listen).
Not only are they their most adventurous, they’re also their most irresistible and consistent – the ones whose energy never seems to run out, a joy from start to finish. Horskh has always had a knack for making necks and bums shake. Over time, their craft has become more refined, and MTNT commands respect with their ability to grab our attention in a matter of seconds whilst managing to pack so many ideas into such a short space of time. In this respect, it’s a model of songwriting: rich, mad, teeming with ideas and yet with formidable precision; it’s both uniquely singular and instantly appealing. Here’s another one that’s bound to go on repeat, with the certainty that, in time, the music will transform us too.
