About Horns of Hattin

Horns of Hattin is a Vienna, Austria-based Extreme Epic Metal band formed in Fall 2007 by former members of various underground bands (Vargsriket, Final Aphorism, Cryosphere, Seeds of Sorrow and later Obsidian Chamber). The band takes its name from "The Battle of Hattin", one of bloodiest episodes to occur during the Crusades in the area between present-day Jerusalem and Damascus. The battle site is known historically as the "Horns of Hattin" because of two hills on either side of the valley that appear to form "horns" from the distance. The Battle of Hattin essentially heralded the end of the Crusades; today it retains a deeply significant symbolism of large political, religious and social systems breaking down due to overly eager, greedy and weak leadership.

Lyrically, Horns of Hattin focus a great deal on history and its relevance to the present. The band recounts tales of ancient mysteries, secret societies, and the events of the Crusades, providing an introspective glance into the present and future. Horns of Hattin also explore various themes related to man and his religious ideas - the personal quest for enlightenment and self-mastery. The band's unofficial motto: "There is no religion higher than truth."

So what exactly is "Extreme Epic Metal"? Guitarist Rex Vermum offers some insight: "We come from various musical backgrounds and influences, so it's hard to limit the music to just one stylistic tag," he offers. "There are elements of epic, melodic or "symphonic" Black Metal, quite a bit of classic Heavy Metal, and some straight-ahead Black/Death-style riffing. We're not trying to define a new style and we're certainly not doing anything musically groundbreaking. In all honesty, the label "Extreme Epic Metal" is just a marketing tag, but it just seemed to be the easiest way to describe our music to others."

Horns of Hattin are currently focused on promoting their first official demo and rehearsing their live set. "Live is where it's got to be at for Horns of Hattin right now," says vocalist Havres Heremita. "We're putting a lot of effort into extending our live set now that our demo is finished. We've been fortunate to receive very good offers for national and international support gigs with bands like Mayhem, Enslaved Shining and Dornenreich , and we're working on booking more one-offs and local shows to solidify our live presentation."

Horns of Hattin are currently available for booking in Austria and surrounding countries. Please visit our Booking page for contact information.