Hortus Animae
| Company type | Ensemble / Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 in Rimini, Italy |
| Headquarters | Rimini , Italy |
| Products | Progressive black metal music albums and performances |
| Website | www |
Hortus Animae is a progressive black metal ensemble originating from Northern and Central Italy, established in 1997 in Rimini. Following their independently produced debut The Melting Idols, they embarked on tours alongside acts such as Lacuna Coil, Ancient, and Napalm Death. After opening for the Norwegian group Ancient in Padova, drummer Grom joined the lineup as a key side project contributor. Subsequently, they recorded their sophomore album and first official release, Waltzing Mephisto, which was crafted over several years at Italy’s Fear studio. In October 2002, the band secured a contract with the Greek label Black Lotus Records, later partnering with Sleaszy Rider Records (EMI) for their 2005 release The Blow Of Furious Winds.
Following their 1998 demo cassette An Abode For Spirit And Flesh, Hortus Animae rapidly established a devoted underground fan base and received critical praise.
Hortus Animae earned cult acclaim within the extreme metal underground due to their distinctive fusion of genres and infrequent live performances. Their sound merges elements from 1970s progressive rock, gothic, classical, and ambient music with death and black metal, incorporating instruments such as piano, viola, violin, mandolin, synthesizers, along with varied vocal techniques—an innovative approach in the scene during that period. Drummer Grom’s prominence from projects like Doomsword and Ancient further enhanced their visibility.
Their official debut album Waltzing Mephisto includes a cover of Mayhem's iconic black metal track "Freezing Moon", blended with Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" and the Italian prog group Il Balletto di Bronzo’s "Terzo Incontro," showcasing their dark 1970s progressive rock inspirations. Their subsequent album The Blow Of Furious Winds features a unique cover combining Queen’s "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" and "Nevermore."
Between these releases, they contributed metal renditions of "Windfall" and "Summoning Of The Muse" to The Lotus Eaters: Tribute to Dead Can Dance, collaborating with gothic vocalist Liv Kristine.
In 2005, Hortus Animae received accolades from the leading Italian publication Metal Maniac, being named 'best emerging band' and honored with 'best Italian album of the year'.
The group disbanded on 18 January 2006 due to personal reasons and challenges within the music industry but expressed gratitude towards their fans and media supporters.
Years later, they commemorated their decade-long career by releasing the box set Funeral Nation: 10 years of Hortus Animae through Sleaszy Rider Records (EMI), which included merchandise, unreleased demos from Waltzing Mephisto and The Blow Of Furious Winds, as well as a behind-the-scenes DVD.
Responding to increasing demand, in 2012 they collaborated with Thrash Corner Records (USA) to issue Funeral Nation MMXII, a comprehensive double CD anthology featuring their original self-produced album The Melting Idols, which had been omitted from the earlier box set.
On 25 January 2013, Hortus Animae announced their reunion and commenced work on a new album titled Secular Music. The recording took place at Domination Studio (RSM) under producer Simone Mularoni—who also contributed as session bassist—and was released in 2014 by Flicknife Records (U.K.).
In October 2023, the band celebrated the 20th anniversary of Waltzing Mephisto with a special 2-CD box edition containing unreleased bonus tracks, live recordings, and a cover of Norma Tanega’s “You’re Dead,” recognized as the theme song for the television series *What We Do in the Shadows*. This edition featured updated artwork and was distributed by Symbol of Domination/BlackHeavens Music.
Current lineup
- Martyr Lucifer – Bassist (1997-2005), Lead Vocals (1997-2006, 2013–present)
- Gianluca "Hypnos" Bacchilega – Guitarist (1998-2006, 2013–present)
- Bless – Keyboards and Backing Vocals (1998-2006), Keyboards only (2013–present)
- Diego "Grom" Meraviglia – Drummer (2002-2006, 2013–present)
- Adamant – Bass Guitar (2014–present)
- Manuel "MG Desmadre" Guerrieri – Guitarist (2014–present)
Past members
- Lorenzo Bartolini – Guitar and Keyboards (1997–1999)
- Thomas Ghirardelli – Drums and Backing Vocals (1997–2001)
- Claudio Caselli – Guitar and Backing Vocals (1997-1998)
- Eleonora Valmaggi – Keyboards, Violin, Female Vocals (1997-2000)
- Marco "Karnal" Righetti – Guitar (2000), Bass (2006)
- Claudio "Iarsa" Nicoletti – Guitarist (2001-2002)
- Massimo "Arke" Arcucci – Guitarist (2002)
- Fabio "Amon 418" Bartolini – Guitar and Synthesizer (2004-2006)
- Ecnerual – Violinist (2014-2015)
Session musicians
- Scorpios – Session Guitarist (1998)
- Vallo – Session Drummer (2002)
- Moonbeam – Session Violinist (2003, 2005)
- Claudio Tirincanti – Session Drummer (2005-2006)
Discography
- An Abode for Spirit and Flesh (demo tape, 1998)
- The Melting Idols (self-released CD, 2000)
- Waltzing Mephisto (CD released by Black Lotus Records, 2003)
- Windfall Introducing Summoning of the Muse (promotional CD, 2004)
- The Blow of Furious Winds (Sleaszy Rider Records / EMI, 2005)
- Funeral Nation / 10 Years Of Hortus Animae (Sleaszy Rider Records, 2008)
- Funeral Nation MMXII (Thrash Corner Records, 2012)
- Secular Music (Flicknife Records, 2014)
- Godless Years (Satanica Productions, 2014)
- There's No Sanctuary (Azermedoth Records / BlackHeavens Music, 2016)
- Waltzing Mephisto - 20th Anniversary (Symbol of Domination / BlackHeavens Music, 2023)