HORRENDOUS formed in 2009. The band’s three founding members (Damian Herring – guitar, vocals, Matt Knox – guitar, vocals, Jamie Knox – drums), driven by a desire to capture and rekindle the mystique of a bygone era in the history of metal, fused elements from progressive metal, old school death metal, and more, into a cohesive sonic landscape. These initial compositions resulted in the of release their debut full-length ‘The Chills’ in 2012. The album received critically acclaim upon release, and was cited as “
a preposterously flawless debut album. The old school just got schooled.” (Metal Injection).
Following the release of ‘The Chills’, HORRENDOUS began to expand upon their traditional death metal leanings, conjuring a bolder, more sophisticated musical approach from a wide-cast net of elements beyond the limitations of any genre. This lead to the back-to-back releases of ‘Ecdysis’ (2014) and (after relocating to Philadelphia,) ‘Anareta’ (2015). Both albums were incredibly well-received by both the heavy metal underground and critics alike. Each successive record marked a new step in the sonic evolution of the band and carried them further on their adventurous journey of musical awakenings.
Upon the release of ‘Anareta’, HORRENDOUS saw significant acclaim from mainstream music journalism, as the record was championed as “stunning” by Pitchfork, “A momentous and unconventionally poignant achievement… Anareta is death metal painted not with just reds and grays, but with the palette of human experience.” (SPIN), and saw the band “fearlessly reaching skyward, peeling off guitar leads that climb like clock towers or church steeples: intricate constructions resulting in monuments that are breathtaking to behold from afar, and almost impossible to believe when examined up close.” (Stereogum)
‘Anareta’ went on to top many best-of lists in 2015, making appearances in Stereogum, Consequence of Sound, SPIN, Decibel Magazine, Apple Music, Yahoo Music, and countless other publications, blogs, and websites.
