HOODED MENACE – Never Cross the Dead CD review

HOODED MENACE – Never Cross the Dead CD
Profound Lore Records

A friend of mine named Karen, who also writes in a blog about music albeit not as extreme as yours truly, once asked me why the American metal scene doesn’t accept doom metal like it’s accepted in other countries. I didn’t have a definitive answer for her. The truth is that there are alot of doom metal fans in the states but the genre is so varied. Just like black metal, you could have two people in the same room and they’d hate each other’s fave bands. I personally like alot of variety within my doomster choices. This Finnish band is a perfect example since they’re pretty much a death/doom act but add alot of extra flair to keep it exciting. This is their second release although mainman Lasse Pyykko (aka: the Leper Messiah on guitars, bass and some vocals) has been crushing the weak for some time while in other doom bands like PHLEGETHON and SARNATH. In 2008 this band released Fulfill the Curse which was the equivalent of a nuclear explosion with slight melody. Never Cross the Dead is Lasse’s way of saying that first one wasn’t a fluke.

Those of you familiar with other Finnish doom acts might find HOODED MENACE disturbing. They’re like some spiked prehistoric slug from hell that slithers along secreting acid as a trail. You can imagine the vocals emanating from said beast as well. It takes a few listens to appreciate every little nuance they toss in to spark things up. It’s dirge doom with a sick guitar tone and a menacing machine like rhythm cadence. Every once in a while Lasse will throw down a clean guitar solo that sounds like an electrical shortout. Other times they’ll even put it in second gear to lay down SABBATH style grooves complete with a melodic death metal solo. We call that in the trade “coming up for air”. One great example is the cut “Night of the Deathcult” that starts out with doom riffs that ripple over your face and leave dust in any cracks you might have. It’s like the beast has arisen and its fuckin hungry with the riffs taking the place of its stomach growls. By two minutes in the beast is on the hunt and you are on the menu. SABBATH style riffs that you can ride upon like the worms of Dune.

The song “The House of Hammer” sounds like you’re listening to a TYR album with a ten pound weight on the needle. “Terror Castle” sounds like the whole thing falling in on itself with you in the dungeon being pounded with one stone at a time. “Rituals of Mortal Cremation” and “From Their Coffined Slumber” makes you wonder if they have sludgy Louisiana type swamps in Finland and if they do I wouldn’t sweat the snakes. There’s something much more menacing in them there Finnish bayous and its HOODED MENACE.

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