Dark Horse White Horse's 'Dark Horse White Horse' - EP Review

Despite the band never being one of my real favourites, I will still sad when the Dutch symphonic/gothic metal band Stream of Passion called it a day in 2016. I had followed the band from around the time that their second album The Flame Within was released in 2009, having discovered them after hearing Ayreon's excellent 2004 release The Human Equation not long before. The Human Equation probably remains my favourite Ayreon album, and that is largely due to the stellar and diverse cast of singers included - and it was an album that turned me on to a number of bands including The Quill, Saviour Machine, and Stream of Passion due to their respective singers' participation. I loved Marcela Bovio's voice from the off, so Stream of Passion were a band that I look to quickly. While they were never as bombastic as many of their contemporaries, their dense sound always appealed to me. They never pushed themselves down many of the typical paths that symphonic metal bands take, but instead continued to hone their gothic-tinged sound over four albums until splitting up in 2016 - following 2014's strong A War of Our Own. Stream of Passion's sound was always simpler on the surface than that of many other symphonic metal bands - but there was a murky depth to the band that made them stand out. Bovio's emotive, shimmering voice was a big part of that - and it has been a shame that she has not really had a band to call her own since Stream of Passion's demise. She has been a part of the expansive progressive/symphonic/death metal supergroup MaYaN since 2017, and made significant contributions to their excellent 2018 release Dhyana (which I reviewed here), but she is a singer that deserves to be fully in the spotlight. Admittedly I have not heard her solo albums, which I believe are quite far-removed from anything else that she has done, which is something that I need to rectify - but she has recently put herself back in the spotlight by launching her new band Dark Horse White Horse. Essentially a three-piece, Dark Horse White Horse consists of Bovio, guitarist Jord Otto (My Propane; ReVamp; Vuur), and keyboardist Ruben Wijga (ReVamp; Neverlight). Rather than being a continuation of Stream of Passion, Dark Horse White Horse actually sound like a natural successor to ReVamp's excellent (and final) 2013 release Wild Card (which Otto and Wijga co-wrote). Dark Horse White Horse are certainly heavier and more progressive than Stream of Passion ever were, something that can be heard immediately when listening to the band's debut self-titled five-track EP that was released last month. Joined by bassist Siebe Sol Sijpkens (Phantom Elite) and drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek (God Dethroned; Epica; MaYaN) on a session basis, the three-piece impress throughout the EP's short runtime.

The EP opens up with the lead single Judgement Day, and its big Otto riff - something which should let any listener know that Dark Horse White Horse are a very different proposition to Stream of Passion. Dark Horse White Horse are much more guitar-driven, and have a much more technical sound - and Judgement Day seems to go all out to showcase this. Otto's main riff is heavy and oppressive, while Sijpken's bass takes the centre stage for the atmospheric verses - his playing countering Bovio's instantly-recognisable voice perfectly. There are Stream of Passion-esque moments, particularly when the band goes for a more atmospheric approach, but these are seamlessly weaved into the band's heavy and technical sound. Despite this more progressive vision, Dark Horse White Horse are still extremely melodic - with each of the five songs here being very memorable. Judgement Day features a soaring chorus that really pushes Bovio vocally, and sees her hitting some impressive high notes, while Otto's tasty lead work provides a subtle counter-melody. Black Hole ups the heaviness, with a riff that could sit on any number of modern tech metal albums. There is less atmosphere this time, with the song instead going for a more mechanical sound - quite akin to Otto's recent stint in Vuur that produced 2017's excellent In This Moment We Are Free - Cities (which I reviewed here), but with a greater keyboard presence thanks to Wijga's influence and a number of great synth runs. As Vuur seem to be on ice at the moment, it makes me wonder if this is a song that Otto had written for Vuur, and it was then re-purposed here. The riffing and mechanical bass playing certainly suggest that to be a possibility, but the song sounds different from Vuur due to the excellent keyboard playing of Wijga throughout - as well as some blast beats from van Weesenbeek towards the end. The Spider follows, and it might be my favourite of the five songs here. There is certainly more of Stream of Passion's ethereal sound present tis time, but perfectly tied up in the more progressive approach that Dark Horse White Horse have taken. The song is much more keyboard-heavy, with Wijga's synths and atmospheric playing high in the mix. Otta's choppy rhythms help to ground the song however, but on the whole this is a piece that is much more atmospherically-dense and much less in-your-face. The chorus has a strong Stream of Passion vibe, with Bovio's vocal melodies really cutting through the mix of chopping rhythms and driving drums. A lengthy instrumental section sets the song apart from the core Stream of Passion sound however, as both Otto and Wijga get a chance to lay down complex and technical solos - both of which are great.

Get Out again follows a somewhat more atmospheric sound, with Wijga's keyboards high in the mix. Otto's riffing is a bit more prominent this time however, with his initial doomy riff setting the tone - before a short, chaotic section showcases more great van Weesenbeek drumming. While The Spider hinted at Bovio's past, a good chunk of Get Out could have appeared on a Stream of Passion album and not felt out of place. Some of the more esoteric prog metal moments might not have felt at home; but the sparse verses that feature a lot of synth and piano work, and the relatively simple and vocal-led chorus sections certainly would have. I like the fact that Dark Horse White Horse have managed to fuse a lot of different sounds together, and the EP sounds like a real mix of all of the bands that the musicians have been a part of previously. It looks to the past and to the future all at once, and that is partly what makes it such an interesting listen. The EP comes to a close with Cursed, a song that, full circle-like, returns to the sound showcased on the EP's opening songs. It is quite similar to Judgement Day in many respects, although the pace is slowed down somewhat to allow a much more epic sound to manifest itself. Otto's riffing returns to its heavy dominance however, although there is some more great bass playing from Sijpkens during the verses that create a really unsettling sound. Despite Dark Horse White Horse certainly being a product of its three main members, the EP's rhythm section have made a lot of positive contributions to the five songs here - and their playing really helps to emphasise the progressive nature of the band. Cursed is a good example of this, from Sijpkens bass melodies to van Weesenbeek's diverse drum grooves. Cursed also contains possibly the heaviest section of the EP, with some of the grittiest vocals that Bovio has ever committed to tape. She sounds very different during the song's mid-section, as she pushes herself to new heights, while Otto caps off this section with a shredded and chaotic guitar solo. Cursed is the song here that sees the band pushing themselves the most, and as a result it is a great way to end what is a varied and dynamic EP. It is unclear yet whether Dark Horse White Horse is intended to be the full-time project of all involved going forward, or whether the collaboration will be a one-off. I certainly hope that this EP is the start of something great however, as the potential shown in these five songs is very promising. I would love to hear more from this band going forward, and I hope that all involved have the drive to keep the band going and to push this dense and progressive sound even further.

The self-released album was released on 16th April 2021. Below is the band's promotional lyric video for Judgement Day.