Today we’d like to introduce you to Lord Of Horns.

Hi Lord, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As a child, I was always fascinated with mysticism, the macabre, and horror. I wanted to be an actor so I could bring my sinister imaginations to life. In 6th grade, I enrolled in my first school play and continued through my senior year in high school. Most of the plays were musicals and all the directors and acting coaches wanted the cast to focus on being a triple threat, someone who can act, sing, and dance. I had no interest in the ladder two. I just wanted to act. The music and dance were only peripheral. Up until I was 14, I was very musically sheltered. The only genres I knew were oldies from the 50’s and 60’s, like Doo-Wop, the Beatles, and the Animals; disco, country from the 80’s, and 90’s electronic dance music (which I hated). In the 90’s, I was a huge pro wrestling fan, and one night a band called KISS played during one of the broadcasts. I was mesmerized by theatrics, the heaviness of the music, the face paint, and especially the pyrotechnics. I wanted more of this hard rock.
I sought out more of their music and people were quick to offer other bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple.
My interests changed from acting and pro wrestling to hard rock and when I was 16, I bought my first bass. Soon enough, I discovered thrash and noticed one of my favorite wrestlers’ entrance music was a Metallica song. Around that time, I discovered Slayer and Overkill and that sent me down the rabbit hole to find the most evil music ever made.
I got into death metal a little bit until I found black metal. It was everything I wanted to play as a musician. It was atmospheric, melodic, and overall evil!!!
And it didn’t stop with just the music. The myths and mysteries that shrouded many of the early Norwegian bands were intriguing and made the music feel more real – like they really meant what they were saying in the lyrics.
It was clear, this was the music I was meant to create.
When I was 19, I formed my first black metal project, Acryptylyse. It was more avante garde, yet sounded very evil as I wanted the music to instill fear in the listener.
After a few line-up changes and 2 album releases, I took a long hiatus from music. It wasn’t until my early 30’s when I met the guys from Exinfernum who needed a new bass player. I jumped on board for about a year or two.
In the midst of that, I started a project with my girlfriend at the time called Dark Reverence. It was a strange mix of goth, black metal, and industrial.
During my spare time, I worked on what I had always anticipated the 3rd Acryptylyse album would be. After we broke up, I put all my focus into that album.
Since joining Exinfernum, I had become known under my pseudonym. Since I recorded the album myself, and no one was familiar with Acryptylyse, I decided to release it as a solo album.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I could pull-off a one man black metal show, but after I won the first round at a local Battle for Wacken, my uncertainty slipped away. I utilize my theater background – even the musicals – to enthrall the audience.
I am currently working on a new album, but unsure when it will be ready for release.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing in my life has ever been smooth. Family was one of the biggest struggles. Cutting out those who bring you down, yet maintaining a relationship with those who need you was tough. In terms of my music, being a solo act is very difficult. It takes longer to write and record. It’s harder to promote and get the word out to people. The economics are trickier. I don’t have 3 or 4 other guys who can chip in for ads, merch, and other road expenses.
Also, using backtracks has been an issue. Every sound system is different. At home, my mix may sound amazing, but on stage it sounds atrocious. I have circumvented this issue by building my own stage speakers and remixing for those specifically.
Every step of the way is a struggle, but well worth it!!!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My music is influenced by black metal of the late 80’s and early 90’s. I focus on writing music that creates a sense of dread or invokes horrific imagery in the mind of the listener. When they close their eyes, I want them to become immersed into a world of horror and macabre. Elements found in horror movie soundtracks add another dimension to the music. The soundscape presents the setting and the lyrics narrate the nightmarish scenes. Most other bands don’t focus so much on the atmosphere, and those who do don’t seem to have the same motivation.
I have become proud of many of my achievements. I can’t say one is more valued than the others. I appreciate each one, cumulatively, they build upon themselves. I am proud that I released an album that I wrote, recorded, and mixed myself. I had a heavy hand in the mastering stage, as well. I am proud that I won a battle of the bands as a solo artist. I am proud to have opened for a well-known black metal festival. That paved the opportunity to travel across country on a tour that I set up myself, which of course, I am proud 0f. I am proud that have opened for a legendary band from Europe. And I am proud that so many people love my music so much, they can’t wait to hear my next album.

What’s next?
Well, of course, my next release is in the works. Besides that, I am looking to schedule a tour down the east coast to Florida. No big changes or anything too big, that I know of. But, who knows, we’ll see….

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lordofhorns.bandcamp.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lordofhorns
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lordofhorns
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lordofhorns

Image Credits
Clinton Jones