I must admit that for as deep as my love for Doom Metal goes, I’ve always been rather picky about Death/Doom in particular. The subgenre’s dedication to atmospheric melancholy is certainly commendable, but a lot of those bands seem to lack the ear-catching melodies and riffs that drew me to this style in the first place. Hooded Menace has certainly stood out as a leading voice in recent years, but a lot of their past work has been in the “almost there” category for me as a listener. Fortunately, the band’s sixth full-length album offers hints of possible change in this regard.Continue reading →