Year: 2021
Total Time: 47:40
Label: Season Of Mist
It is widely known, that when the stars and planets align, a band will release an album that will come out of the confided space of its genre and sail into the waters of a more universal sea, which in this case is the vast and chaotic ocean of metal music.
For about ten years now, the Finns HOODED MENACE have been faithfully and in the best way serving the very special genre of old school Doom/Death metal. With a sound massively influenced by the early 90s works of PARADISE LOST, KATATONIA, CATHEDRAL, ASPHYX and the more traditional Doom Metal of CANDLEMASS and BLACK SABBATH.
With one release better than the other one, the Finns have left no fans complaining. They had even begun to exert influence on newer bands such as the terrible and formidable TEMPLE OF VOID.
Up to now, the band had followed the classic recipe of long compositions, with tempos ranging from slow to mid-tempo and guitars playing super heavy riffs and melancholic leads.
All this is now changed in “The Tritonus Bell” as Lasse Pyykkö and his mates decided to infuse their music with the pure and untainted Heavy Metal of the 80s and especially that of KING DIAMOND and MERCYFUL FATE.
As a result, the songs acquired a more melodic and classic substance. The guitars really stand out on this album. Heavy Metal riffs alternate with mournful melodies, melodic solos left and right reminiscent of the great axe men of the past, tempos constantly change and the structures of the tracks become more traditional despite the durations that reach even nine minutes. At points where the melody meets the Death Metal side of the band, the Finns will even remind CARCASS of “Heartwork” era (listen to the beginning of “Chime Diabolicus”), thus adding even more to the variety of the album in which we will meet even clean vocals ala Darren White, some Gothic undertones and a touch of female vocals.
This variety is one of the album’s highlights, as it doesn’t let you get bored not for a single moment. The band seems to have spent many hours in the studio, as the songs seem to have been refined, down to the last detail. They have managed, I would say, to make themselves sound “catchy” without sacrificing the extreme element or adding any commercial musical elements.
This whole unique fusion was tied up exemplarily by Andy Larocque who managed to offer this Heavy Metal prism that the Finns wanted, while maintaining the Doom/Death sound of the band.
The icing on the cake is the cover of WASP’s “The Torture Never Stops” as the last song of this monstrous work.
HOODED MENACE scored a golden goal with this album. They escaped from the “stagnant” waters of the Doom/Death swamp in which dozens of other bands are trapped, renewed their sound and at the same time made their music sound more accessible than ever. My compliments!
Rating: 8.5/10
Editor: Dimitris Benetatos
Related Link: HOODED MENACE – Facebook Page
