Review: Hornblower - The Last Trumpeter (2026)

Band: Hornblower
Album: The Last Trumpeter
Genre: Medieval Black Metal
Country: Canada
Label: Spruce Bog
Released: 20th March 2026

Introduction

A brand-new band to me that I happened upon one night when looking for new music that I may have missed out on. Sure enough, this came out in March and completely slipped me by.

Hailing from Canada, off to a good start already with a ridiculous amount of solid acts coming out of that region these days. Without any more information, I stuck on both EPs back to back; The Resurgence of Virtue and Crime (2025), and The Last Trumpeter (2026).

I was a bit blown away to put it lightly, this is something I’ve been searching for more of recently but just not quite found the right act yet, or at least not until now.

Medieval black metal in the vein of Godkiller, a band I thoroughly enjoy (or at least those couple of releases where they actually were medieval black metal). Those are a couple of top-tier releases, and this band taps right into that spirit, adapting it proficiently.

I was enjoying the first EP, doing my due diligence by checking the full band out with no real intention of any reviews. Then it all changed when it switched over to The Last Trumpeter. Let’s just dive in.

The Last Trumpeter

A fantastical dungeon synth-like introduction is broken by the frightfully cold raw distortion of simple guitar lines. Straight off the bat this made me do a double take coming from the first already decent EP to what seems to be a new level.

Everything has just been turned up several notches, but it has not been overpolished by any stretch of the imagination. As I mentioned with the guitars that have such a raw and thin quality to them reminiscent of the 90's black metal tapes, but to contrast this the synth work at times is a little bit more bombastic. Nothing is ever too in your face, it tiptoes the line and manages to perfectly match the mood. 

The vocals remain as a wretched howl - torturous and bleak as if you’re passing by a solid oak door in a dingy castle that leads to a basement dungeon where some poor lad is being flayed. Crying out but in doing so managing to fill the songs with so much woeful emotion. 

Among the bombastic and in your face orchestral synths are touches of soft piano or light acoustic guitar work to gently fill the space with a soothing touch. One track in particular, Usque ad victoriam! provides a pleasant five minutes of respite with calm instrumental work. Just as you lose yourself to this atmosphere, you are staunchly disrupted by the thunderous fury that is Durandal, just over three and a half minutes of intensity.

The songwriting is never too complicated, it carries forth the heart of old school black metal. Sturdy guitar work is complimented with ample keyboards, evoking archaic characteristics with passion.

The track that stood out to me the most in my first few listens was Mors Caliphae! The deep horns bellow, the keys pleasantly compose along, and then the thunderous drums come crashing down to shatter any illusion of serenity. This is also a track that features great variation in vocal work, not only are there these vile screams, but clean choir work join the mix as do some obscured spoken word sections. 

Conclusion 

I hate to call it Godkiller worship as that makes it sound derogatory, but that's exactly what this is. In fact, it might be the Godkiller replacement seeing as there's been nothing new since the industrial/electronic route in 1998/2000. (And although there was a “new” black metal single from them in 2025, it was recorded in 1997). 

If this band wants to join in the new age of medieval black metal with bands like Obsequiae & Véhémence (both excellent) but stripping back that layer of sheen to leave it in a rougher unkempt state I am all for it. 

With each EP being around half an hour long, I’m keen for an extended look at what Hornblower has to offer. Let’s see a full album, maybe a song or two breaking the ten-minute mark for some large-scale soundscapes.

But right now, these EPs are great to dive into and check it out if you’re missing out on some feudal symphonies.

BMZ Rating: 7.5/10

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