Doomed Confessionary: Dan (Hora)
Photo by Tom Hill
Hora is a four-piece doom band from Bristol, UK. Formed by Adam (guitar) and Andy (guitar, vocals) over lockdown, Dan (drums) and Mike (bass) joined in late 2022. Hora blend doom with elements of thrash and more classic metal to create something new.
Hora’s diverse sound is built on a backbone of fuzzed-out doom with prominent doses of classic heavy metal and flourishes of black, death and post metal influences. Across their songs, Hora establishes a varied and sometimes unexpected soundscape replete with grooving riffs, melodic leads, and dynamic song structures.
Since the release of their debut EP »Witch Trial Sessions Vol. 1« in February 2024, Hora have been busy establishing themselves as a live act across the South West and Wales. They already have a collection of high-profile gigs under their belts, including opening slots for Dopethrone and Witchrot, and appearances at this year’s South West Heavy Fest and Temple Of Doom.
Hora’s latest EP »Witch Trial Sessions Vol. 2« was released in November 2025, with three new tracks completing the narrative started in »Vol. 1«.
Can you please say a few words about your band?
We are Hora, a doom metal band based in Bristol, UK. We have been gigging around England and Wales for about 2 years now. We have 2 EPs under our belts, and are writing music for our first full-length album which we will hopefully get to record soon! Our sound is built on a backbone of fuzzed-out doom with prominent doses of classic heavy metal and flourishes of black, death and post metal influences.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Capturing the feel of our live performance on a record is always challenging. We are very much a live band, and during a performance we take a lot of cues from one another and there is a certain amount of push-and-pull between the instruments. We don’t use click tracks or backing tracks, which we think gives things a more organic, natural flow that suits the type of music we are playing. So when we are in the studio, we want to record live together in the same room as much as possible, to try and replicate the feel of a live show. This can present challenges from a production point of view however, so it’s important to get a producer who understands this type of music and gets what we are trying to achieve.
What can you be most proud of so far?
We were super proud and excited to open for Dopethrone on the Bristol show of their last tour. We absolutely love the crazy energy those guys bring, so it was a really special moment opening for them in front of our home crowd!
What was your biggest regret?
Biggest regrets – thankfully we don’t have too many of those. Our approach is to always look forward, learn from the past, and think about what we want to do next. But if I had to point to something I would say the biggest regret from last year was when we had to cancel a show we were organising for last December because the venue shut down temporarily. By then, all of the other venues in town were booked up, so we had to pull the plug on the show. It was a shame as we had a really great lineup of bands, and had done all the posters and artwork. The bands are all keen to do something though, so hopefully we can revive that show for a future date!
Photos by Sam Harbridge
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
One of my favourite shows was our headline gig in Newquay (Cornwall) on Halloween night last year. The show was a bit chaotic, with the sound guy showing up an hour late. But by the time the show got going the room was packed and everyone had had a few drinks and was feeling pretty merry. The response we got, particularly for our newer material, was fantastic. From behind the drum kit I was having a blast watching the costumed crowd mosh and absolutely let loose, although I was sweating like a pig under my own costume (satanic goat-priest). So it was a very memorable night, and I can’t wait to get back to play in Cornwall again, the crowds there are super fun.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The biggest surprise was probably how welcoming people were to us as a new band. It can be difficult starting out as a new band, booking your first few gigs before people really know who you are. But the scene in Bristol is super supportive, and we were lucky that some of the local promoters were willing to take a chance with us as a new band!
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Worm – Necropalace
Empire Of Dust – From Dust Till Dawn
Sergeant Thunderhoof – The Ghost Of Badon Hill
Conan – Evidence Of Immortality
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Listen to as much music as you can. I find it’s the best way to learn and develop your own musical ‘language’. I love listening to lots of different types of music, and I find it fun combining ideas and sounds from different genres to hopefully make something new and exciting!
What are your guilty pleasures?
I would say no pleasure should be ‘guilty’ (unless it involves harming others!).
Nevertheless, some simple pleasures that come to mind:
• having a steaming black coffee while watching the first band of the morning at a metal festival (Brutal Assault in Czechia being my favourite)
• pizza + a cheesy horror film
• drinking stout while listening to Electric Wizard
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Bristol?
Bristol has a very active music scene, with lots of great venues and pubs hosting local bands and DIY music events. Bristol is well-known for its punk and hardcore scenes especially, although its doom metal scene is also very active and growing with lots of new great bands coming out. Some of my favourite releases from the past year are from Bristol doom bands – Empire Of Dust‘s debut album »From Dust Till Dawn« and Necronomicunt‘s 2025 EP. The bands are all super friendly and very supportive of one another, so it’s a great environment for new bands to establish themselves and make connections. The Gryphon pub and Black City Records, which are right next to each other in central Bristol, are a great focal point for the Bristol metal community. The Gryphon is always putting on a mix of underground local bands and bigger touring bands and is a great place to come and meet like-minded people and enjoy some fine ales!
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Hora has a number of UK shows planned for this year, although many of them haven’t been announced yet so we don’t want to spoil too much! A couple we can share though: we will be playing in Falmouth on 21 April, and we will also be playing at Temple Of Doom Vol. II in Bristol on 23 May. Temple of Doom is a yearly doom fest that we are helping run, so anyone who is in the area should definitely come check that out as we’ve got loads of great bands playing. Keep an eye on our Instagram for more tour date announcements (@horadoom).
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Right now, we are working on music for our first full-length album. We have about half of the songs so far, and we are very pleased with the directions the songs are taking. We are mixing in lots of different ideas, with some really heavy riffs and some of the songs having a more progressive feel to them. So, our focus is to get the album done, and then organise a tour around that. We have some exciting plans in the works which we hope to share with you soon!
How can people best support your band?
Come check out our live shows, say hi, and maybe buy a t-shirt! It really means a lot to us to see people turning up to our shows and headbanging along to the music, and we really appreciate the support. And of course you can check out our music online – just head over to our Bandcamp.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Keep supporting heavy underground music! We hope to see you soon out on the road, cheers!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well