A lot has changed since Hour of 13’s last album, 333, came out in 2012. The project is now a one-man affair with bandleader/multi-instrumentalist Chad Davis playing all the parts himself, including vocals with Phil Swanson long out of the picture. That nine-year gap also saw a minor genre tug ‘o’ war take place as singles and EPs were torn between the Traditional Doom of albums past and Samhain-style Deathrock, often determined by whether the 13 was retained as a number or spelled out. With this somewhat convoluted frame in mind, it’s a relief to see the former style win out on their fourth full-length, Black Magick Rites (Shadow Kingdom Records).
It’s been three years since the release of Kruger’s ‘For Death, Glory and the End of the World’, however, the band have been putting that time to good use in order to “raise the kids, earn real money, find a reliable second guitar guy and write new music”. The break has done the post-sludge metallers some good, as they have hit back with 2 track EP ‘333’ and are sounding fresher than ever.