Terzij de Horde—such a fun name to say for someone who doesn’t speak or know a single word of Dutch. Actually, that’s not entirely true, because I do know that Terzij de Horde translates to “set apart from the horde”—a famous line from a renowned Dutch poet. But I’m not here to talk about words written by other people; I’m here to write words about the very fucking talented band of the same name.

Terzij de Horde has been making black metal and hardcore since 2010, but before that, they leaned more heavily into grindcore, starting in 2007 under the name Liar Liar Cross On Fire. This distinction is especially important today, as the release we’re looking at is the culmination of 15 years of music—it is both the beginning and the end.

In One of These I Am Your Enemy / Exposed, Barren and Often Windswept is a double album combining Terzij de Horde’s first and last releases. However, Exposed, Barren and Often Windswept was originally recorded in 2008, back when they were still performing as Liar Liar Cross On Fire.

The Beginning: Exposed, Barren and Often Windswept

The Liar Liar Cross On Fire era was pure volatility—hardcore, grind, and black metal all smashing into each other with no real concern for restraint. Exposed, Barren and Often Windswept sounds like a band absolutely frothing at the mouth, writing music as if their instruments are on fire. The production is raw, the pacing is frantic, and there’s this reckless energy that makes every track feel on the verge of collapse.

That’s not to say it’s sloppy—far from it. The blast beats and dissonant tremolo lines hint at the band’s future black metal leanings, but here, everything is more primal. The hardcore influence punches through in the vocal delivery and sudden, whiplash-inducing shifts. It’s an unfiltered look at a band that, even in its earliest form, had something to prove.

Standout Track: The Kraken

Of all the chaos and fury on this release, The Kraken stands out—not because it’s the most intense, but because it pulls back just enough to feel completely unhinged in a different way. It’s the most laid-back track here, which, yeah, might sound weird coming from someone who actively seeks out the heaviest, most aggressive shit to cram into my ears. But that’s exactly why it works.

The drums lock into a rhythm that leans more toward trip-hop—breakbeats with a razor’s edge, cutting through the tension rather than steamrolling it. That groove, paired with Joost’s relentless vocal delivery, creates this eerie contrast. It’s a track that breathes, lurches, and unsettles, proving that Terzij de Horde doesn’t need to go full speed to feel absolutely feral.

The End: In One of These I Am Your Enemy

Fast-forward to In One of These I Am Your Enemy, and you’ve got that same ferocity, but now it’s precise, sharpened into something much darker. This is where Terzij de Horde fully embraces black metal’s suffocating atmosphere without losing the unhinged intensity of their past. The riffs stretch out into bleak, spiraling passages, the vocals are even more tortured, and the entire record feels like it’s trying to bury you alive.

What makes this record so punishing isn’t just its aggression—it’s the weight behind it. Every section feels deliberate, every shift like a calculated attack. There are moments where the hardcore roots reemerge in bursts of chaos, but this is a far cry from the grindcore-infused madness of Exposed, Barren and Often Windswept. Instead, it’s a blackened monolith—cold, relentless, and utterly massive.

Standout Track: Precipice

This track is over 13 fucking minutes long. Why is it a standout? No, not because of its sheer length, but because it somehow manages to stretch past the 13-minute mark without boring the shit out of me. From start to finish, it’s gripping—less a song and more a self-contained journey, almost like a mini EP within an EP. Inception.

Slow, sustained leads and a pulsing rhythm set the foundation, only to be shattered by bursts of vocal fury. And then—chaos. Tremolo-picked rhythms stack on top of each other, the leads spiral, and the drums hit like a relentless storm. Just when it feels like it can’t get any more intense, the track shifts. The breakdown drags everything into almost funeral doom territory—toms take over, sustained chords stretch into infinity, and the whole thing becomes hypnotic.

Howling, icy winds usher in a slow build, tension rising until the next explosive riff detonates. This structure—the constant ebb and flow, the way each section evolves—makes Precipice feel like it could stand entirely on its own, even if it weren’t part of a larger release. It’s massive, it’s dynamic, and it’s absolutely fucking incredible.

A Full Circle Ending

Hearing these two records back to back is like watching a fire grow into a controlled inferno. Exposed, Barren and Often Windswept is the spark—wild, unpredictable, and ready to consume everything. In One of These I Am Your Enemy is the blaze at its peak—focused, towering, and all-encompassing.

This release isn’t just a retrospective—it’s a testament to how far Terzij de Horde has come while staying true to their core intensity. Whether you’re drawn to the raw, reckless energy of their early work or the suffocating black metal mastery of their final form, this double album delivers both ends of the spectrum with equal force.

If this is truly the end of Terzij de Horde, they’ve left behind one hell of a funeral pyre. Head over to their Bandcamp and bag this release,