For more than two decades, Hooded Menace have stood as the pillar between two realms of underground metal. The Finnish band are still transfixed by classic horror on their monumental new album. But Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration only goes to show that these stewards of death-doom remain far from stuck in their ways. 

Order the album here: https://orcd.co/hoodedmenacelachrymosemonumentsofobscuration

“…if Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration doesn’t match Tritonus [Bell], it reiterates the trio’s true north”, writes Decibel in an 8/10 review. “Four seven-minute tracks comprise the heart and guts of the album, keening boom/gloom workouts of hammer-and-anvil classicism”. 

“Lasse Pyykkö has once again infused the new album with a blend of their signature crushing heaviness and a daring sense of innovation”, hails New Noise.

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration was released yesterday, Friday, October 3, and you can hear all seven earthshaking tracks by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel:

The undead spirit that’s guided Hooded Menace since its 2007 conception still stands watch over Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. Cover artist Wes Benscoter recreates the Blind Dead in all their glowingly ghoulish glory.  “Pale Masquerade” summons film director Amando de Ossorio’s flesh-eating muse with a fresh heap of founding member Lasse Pyykkö’s bone-crunching chugs.  But while the lasting influence of Candlemass and Paradise Lost hasn’t vanished without a ghostly trace, the band continue to break the mold that they set for death-doom. Neon keys beam through opener “Twilight Passages” as if firing up a time machine.

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration hammers home the classic ‘80s heavy metal influence that Hooded Menace rung in on their last long-player The Tritonus Bell. As if from a trance, drums snap into a gallop amidst blistering leads dripped with neon. “Lugubrious Dance” twists between the hallucinogenic spires of Cathedral in conspiracy with King Diamond before cranking into a chorus that’s classic Hooded Menace. Even traditional death-doomers will scream with delight upon hearing the band cover Duran Duran’s “Save a Prayer” with their blood-soaked signature.  

MicroPitching and other effects aren’t the only tricks pulled out from under Hooded Menace’s cloak on Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. What should appear from beneath Pekka Koskelo’s swirling double bass on lead single “Portrait Without a Face” but the deeply haunting moan of a cello. Like an echo from beyond the grave, the cry of strings reappears during the album’s grand finale. Former live bassist Antti Poutanen sorrowfully saws as the band marches, gallops then sinks back “Into Haunted Oblivion”.    

“Resonate in utter darkness“, Harri Kuokkanen beckons with growls that reek of the crypt. 

With Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, Hooded Menace cast death-doom in a ghoulish new light.

Tracklist
1. Twilight Passages (1:04)
2. Pale Masquerade (7:50) [LISTEN]
3. Portrait Without a Face (7:15) [WATCH]
4. Daughters of Lingering Pain (7:25)
5. Lugubrious Dance (7:20)
6. Save a Prayer (6:12) [WATCH]
7. Into Haunted Oblivion (9:47)

For closing in on two decades, Hooded Menace have stood not as a bridge but the pillar between two underground realms. The band’s upcoming seventh album still paves the way for metal legions who prefer headbanging to more creepily, crushing tempos. However, while Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration is still rooted in a cultish obsession with the classics, these stewards of death-doom remain far from stuck in their ways.     

Starting as a teenager in the late ’80s, founding member Lasse Pyykkö got his start in Joensuu, Finland with the band Phlegethon. But the undead spirit that’s guided Hooded Menace since its 2007 conception first appeared back when he was just a young hesher. Dracula, Poltergeist, A Nightmare on Elm Street and other horrors piqued his morbid curiosity. Though later on, it was feasting on the cult classic Tombs of the Blind Dead that spawned the band’s accursed two-track demo.  

“It’s the dark element”, Lasse recalls when asked what Hooded Menace draws from its source material five albums removed from the band’s terrifying breakthrough Never Cross the Dead.  

The blind dead still stand watch over Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. Returning cover artist Wes Benscoter recreates the Knights Templar in all their glowingly ghoulish glory. “Pale Masquerade” paints a familiar scene, summoning Amando de Ossorio’s flesh-eating muse with a fresh heap of Lasse’s bone-crunching chugs. “The dead army grows“, Harri Kuokkanen commands with growls that reek of the crypt. Lifelong converts will quickly fall in line behind steadfast drummer Pekka Koskelo, who dips “Daughters of Lingering Pain” into the same dripping vat of wax as the band’s 2010s effigies for Relapse Records. The lasting influence of Candlemass and Paradise Lost hasn’t vanished without a trace. But Hooded Menace continue to break the mold they helped set for death-doom right from the album’s opening jump scare. Neon keys beam through “Twilight Passages” as if firing up a time machine.   

Reinvention isn’t new to Hooded Menace. While a menacing vocalist in his own right, Lasse passed the proverbial mic torch to Kuokkanen for the gloomier melodies that haunted the band’s initial offering after signing with Season of Mist late in 2016. Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed was also pulled more from the shadows of their imagination as opposed to the silver screen. Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration trends further in that direction; the lyric sheet unfurls like a house of psychological horrors, where the hallways are hung with shattered mirrors and faceless portraits. Only this time around, the trio really hammered home the influence of ’80s heavy metal that was rung in by previous long-player The Tritonus Bell. “Lugubrious Dance” twists between the hallucinogenic spires of Cathedral in conspiracy with King Diamond before cranking into a chorus that’s classic Hooded Menace.  

MicroPitching and other effects aren’t the only tricks of the trade that are pulled out from under Hooded Menace’s cloak. Traditional death-doomers might have been pleasantly surprised by the band covering W.A.S.P., so imagine the delighted screams upon hearing a Top of the Pops’ gem like “Save a Prayer” splattered in their signature blood-soaked dread. Lasse’s riffs still cement the rock-solid foundation beneath Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, but even he was surprised when sculpting its lead single. What should appear from the double bass swirling amidst “Portrait Without a Face” but the moan of a cello. Like an echo from beyond the grave, the cry of strings reappears during the album’s grand finale. Former live bassist Antti Poutanen sorrowfully saws as the band marches, gallops then sinks back “Into Haunted Oblivion”.  

On Lachyrmose Monuments of Obscuration, Hooded Menace cast death-doom in a ghostly new light. 

Line-up
Harri Kuokkanen — Vocals
Lasse Pyykkö — Guitar, Bass, Keyboards
Pekka Koskelo — Drums

Guest Musicians
Antti Poutanen — Cello
John McNulty — Spoken Word

Production Credits
Recorded by Heikki Marttila at Guru Studio, Joensuu, Finland.
Mixed by Heikki Marttila.
Mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios, Portugal.

Cover Art
Wes Benscoter (https://www.wesbenscoter.com)

Photography
Pasi Nevalaita

Follow Hooded Menace
Bandcamp: https://hoodedmenace.bandcamp.com/music
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoodedmenaceofficial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoodedmenaceofficial/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/10mjw8SFRZjS0d8tecdEW8
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/hooded-menace/364200709
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/3748981
Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/4754969

Since making their accursed debut in the late 2000s, Hooded Menace have paved the way for hordes of metal maniacs who enjoy headbanging to more creepily, crushing tempos. On their upcoming seventh album, the Finnish horror lovers still stand between two realms of the underground with the unshakable force of a pillar. But as uncovered by its new single’s surprise twist, Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration continues to break the mold that the band set for death-doom.   

Today, Hooded Menace are releasing their cover of “Save a Prayer”, the enduring smash from English new wavers Duran Duran. While the song’s latest video is styled with gothic flair, when hammered by the band’s blood-stained signature, this pop gem glows in a ghoulish new light.    

The video for “Save a Prayer” was directed by  Tekla Vály. 

Additional video credits
Director of Photography – Tekla Vály
Second Camera – Eetu Kolehmainen

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration comes out October 3, 2025 on Season of Mist. 

Pre-order & Pre-save: https://orcd.co/hoodedmenacelachrymosemonumentsofobscuration
Pre-save on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/3Os1kbdsMgl805olZjrZUr

Can’t wait to sink into Hooded Menace’s new album? Hear all seven glorious tracks on Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration by RSVPing to this week’s Bandcamp Listening Party.

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration Bandcamp Listening Party – RSVP
Wednesday, September 17 @ 1:30 pm ET / 7:30 pm CEST

With “Save a Prayer”, Duran Duran broke onto the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with their ode to one-night stands. But Hooded Menace are no strangers to reinvention. Traditional death-doomers were pleasantly surprised to hear the Fins wring fresh blood out of a W.A.S.P. deep cut on their last album The Tritonus Bell. So imagine the screams of delight upon hearing them drag a platinum dance-pop ballad into their haunted wheelhouse.

“So you’re looking for the thrill“. While this come-on was initially proposed by Simon Le Bon with a velvety croon, Harri Kuokkanen’s death growls excite real goosebumps.           

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration hammers home the influence of classic ’80s heavy metal on Hooded Menace. While his slowly crushing riffs are still the band’s foundation, founding member Lasse Pyykkö bends the dreamy, synthetic melody of “Save a Prayer” into a vivid, neon-soaked nightmare that recalls early Paradise Lost. His MicroPitched leads scratch and claw as if tortured by lust. Beneath impassioned howls for deeds of flesh, drummer Pekka Koskelo pounds out a pulsing beat that’s perfect for a midnight romp in the graveyard.

Tracklist
1. Twilight Passages (1:04)
2. Pale Masquerade (7:50) [LISTEN]
3. Portrait Without a Face (7:15) [WATCH]
4. Daughters of Lingering Pain (7:25)
5. Lugubrious Dance (7:20)
6. Save a Prayer (6:12)
7. Into Haunted Oblivion (9:47)

For closing in on two decades, Hooded Menace have stood not as a bridge but the pillar between two underground realms. The band’s upcoming seventh album still paves the way for metal legions who prefer headbanging to more creepily, crushing tempos. However, while Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration is still rooted in a cultish obsession with the classics, these stewards of death-doom remain far from stuck in their ways.     

Starting as a teenager in the late ’80s, founding member Lasse Pyykkö got his start in Joensuu, Finland with the band Phlegethon. But the undead spirit that’s guided Hooded Menace since its 2007 conception first appeared back when he was just a young hesher. Dracula, Poltergeist, A Nightmare on Elm Street and other horrors piqued his morbid curiosity. Though later on, it was feasting on the cult classic Tombs of the Blind Dead that spawned the band’s accursed two-track demo.  

“It’s the dark element”, Lasse recalls when asked what Hooded Menace draws from its source material five albums removed from the band’s terrifying breakthrough Never Cross the Dead.  

The blind dead still stand watch over Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. Returning cover artist Wes Benscoter recreates the Knights Templar in all their glowingly ghoulish glory. “Pale Masquerade” paints a familiar scene, summoning Amando de Ossorio’s flesh-eating muse with a fresh heap of Lasse’s bone-crunching chugs. “The dead army grows“, Harri Kuokkanen commands with growls that reek of the crypt. Lifelong converts will quickly fall in line behind steadfast drummer Pekka Koskelo, who dips “Daughters of Lingering Pain” into the same dripping vat of wax as the band’s 2010s effigies for Relapse Records. The lasting influence of Candlemass and Paradise Lost hasn’t vanished without a trace. But Hooded Menace continue to break the mold they helped set for death-doom right from the album’s opening jump scare. Neon keys beam through “Twilight Passages” as if firing up a time machine.   

Reinvention isn’t new to Hooded Menace. While a menacing vocalist in his own right, Lasse passed the proverbial mic torch to Kuokkanen for the gloomier melodies that haunted the band’s initial offering after signing with Season of Mist late in 2016. Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed was also pulled more from the shadows of their imagination as opposed to the silver screen. Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration trends further in that direction; the lyric sheet unfurls like a house of psychological horrors, where the hallways are hung with shattered mirrors and faceless portraits. Only this time around, the trio really hammered home the influence of ’80s heavy metal that was rung in by previous long-player The Tritonus Bell. “Lugubrious Dance” twists between the hallucinogenic spires of Cathedral in conspiracy with King Diamond before cranking into a chorus that’s classic Hooded Menace.  

MicroPitching and other effects aren’t the only tricks of the trade that are pulled out from under Hooded Menace’s cloak. Traditional death-doomers might have been pleasantly surprised by the band covering W.A.S.P., so imagine the delighted screams upon hearing a Top of the Pops’ gem like “Save a Prayer” splattered in their signature blood-soaked dread. Lasse’s riffs still cement the rock-solid foundation beneath Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, but even he was surprised when sculpting its lead single. What should appear from the double bass swirling amidst “Portrait Without a Face” but the moan of a cello. Like an echo from beyond the grave, the cry of strings reappears during the album’s grand finale. Former live bassist Antti Poutanen sorrowfully saws as the band marches, gallops then sinks back “Into Haunted Oblivion”.  

On Lachyrmose Monuments of Obscuration, Hooded Menace cast death-doom in a ghostly new light. 

Line-up
Harri Kuokkanen — Vocals
Lasse Pyykkö — Guitar, Bass, Keyboards
Pekka Koskelo — Drums

Guest Musicians
Antti Poutanen — Cello
John McNulty — Spoken Word

Production Credits
Recorded by Heikki Marttila at Guru Studio, Joensuu, Finland.
Mixed by Heikki Marttila.
Mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios, Portugal.

Cover Art
Wes Benscoter (https://www.wesbenscoter.com)

Photography
Pasi Nevalaita

Follow Hooded Menace
Bandcamp: https://hoodedmenace.bandcamp.com/music
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoodedmenaceofficial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoodedmenaceofficial/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/10mjw8SFRZjS0d8tecdEW8
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/hooded-menace/364200709
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/3748981
Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/4754969

Ever since they formed in 2007, Hooded Menace have commanded hordes of underground metalheads with creepily, crushing tempos. Their upcoming seventh album is still grounded in classic horrors. But on Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, the Finnish stewards of death-doom remain far from stuck in their ways.

“…an ominous, cinematic plunge into horror-inspired doom, blending eerie atmosphere with crushing heaviness”, Metal Injection wrote in praise of the album’s first single.   

Today, Hooded Menace are releasing the second advanced single from Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. “Pale Masquerade” unveils a scene that’s chillingly familiar for cult followers. But by leaning heavier on classic influences, the band cast their age-old muse in a ghostly new light. 

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration comes out October 3, 2025 on Season of Mist. Pre-order & Pre-save

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration still honors the undead spirit that spawned Hooded Menace’s accursed two-track demo. On the album’s cover, Wes Benscoter summons the titular ghouls from the ’70s Spanish horror film series The Blind Dead in all of their haunting glory. “Pale Masquerade” officially opens the proceedings at a doomy march that summons Amando de Ossorio’s vengeful muse back amongst the living. “The dead army grows“, vocalist Harri Kuokkannen commands with growls that reek of the crypt.

Founding member Lasse Pyykkö still stands as the main supportive pillar for Hooded Menace. His riffs tear through the band’s new single like flesh from bone. But Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration hammers home the ’80s heavy metal influence that the band rung in on The Tritonus Bell. Misty keys drape “Pale Masquerade” in an eerie, neon glow. “A clandestine, sinister daze / In the Knights Templar way“. As the drums push the pace to a rotten rumble, a guitar solo cracks across the darkened sky like a flash from the past. 

Tracklist
1. Twilight Passages (1:04)
2. Pale Masquerade (7:50) [LISTEN]
3. Portrait Without a Face (7:15) [WATCH]
4. Daughters of Lingering Pain (7:25)
5. Lugubrious Dance (7:20)
6. Save a Prayer (6:12)
7. Into Haunted Oblivion (9:47)

For closing in on two decades, Hooded Menace have stood not as a bridge but the pillar between two underground realms. The band’s upcoming seventh album still paves the way for metal legions who prefer headbanging to more creepily, crushing tempos. However, while Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration is still rooted in a cultish obsession with the classics, these stewards of death-doom remain far from stuck in their ways.     

Starting as a teenager in the late ’80s, founding member Lasse Pyykkö got his start in Joensuu, Finland with the band Phlegethon. But the undead spirit that’s guided Hooded Menace since its 2007 conception first appeared back when he was just a young hesher. Dracula, Poltergeist, A Nightmare on Elm Street and other horrors piqued his morbid curiosity. Though later on, it was feasting on the cult classic Tombs of the Blind Dead that spawned the band’s accursed two-track demo.  

“It’s the dark element”, Lasse recalls when asked what Hooded Menace draws from its source material five albums removed from the band’s terrifying breakthrough Never Cross the Dead.  

The blind dead still stand watch over Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. Returning cover artist Wes Benscoter recreates the Knights Templar in all their glowingly ghoulish glory. “Pale Masquerade” paints a familiar scene, summoning Amando de Ossorio’s flesh-eating muse with a fresh heap of Lasse’s bone-crunching chugs. “The dead army grows“, Harri Kuokkanen commands with growls that reek of the crypt. Lifelong converts will quickly fall in line behind steadfast drummer Pekka Koskelo, who dips “Daughters of Lingering Pain” into the same dripping vat of wax as the band’s 2010s effigies for Relapse Records. The lasting influence of Candlemass and Paradise Lost hasn’t vanished without a trace. But Hooded Menace continue to break the mold they helped set for death-doom right from the album’s opening jump scare. Neon keys beam through “Twilight Passages” as if firing up a time machine.   

Reinvention isn’t new to Hooded Menace. While a menacing vocalist in his own right, Lasse passed the proverbial mic torch to Kuokkanen for the gloomier melodies that haunted the band’s initial offering after signing with Season of Mist late in 2016. Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed was also pulled more from the shadows of their imagination as opposed to the silver screen. Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration trends further in that direction; the lyric sheet unfurls like a house of psychological horrors, where the hallways are hung with shattered mirrors and faceless portraits. Only this time around, the trio really hammered home the influence of ’80s heavy metal that was rung in by previous long-player The Tritonus Bell. “Lugubrious Dance” twists between the hallucinogenic spires of Cathedral in conspiracy with King Diamond before cranking into a chorus that’s classic Hooded Menace.  

MicroPitching and other effects aren’t the only tricks of the trade that are pulled out from under Hooded Menace’s cloak. Traditional death-doomers might have been pleasantly surprised by the band covering W.A.S.P., so imagine the delighted screams upon hearing a Top of the Pops’ gem like “Save a Prayer” splattered in their signature blood-soaked dread. Lasse’s riffs still cement the rock-solid foundation beneath Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, but even he was surprised when sculpting its lead single. What should appear from the double bass swirling amidst “Portrait Without a Face” but the moan of a cello. Like an echo from beyond the grave, the cry of strings reappears during the album’s grand finale. Former live bassist Antti Poutanen sorrowfully saws as the band marches, gallops then sinks back “Into Haunted Oblivion”.  

On Lachyrmose Monuments of Obscuration, Hooded Menace cast death-doom in a ghostly new light. 

Line-up
Harri Kuokkanen — Vocals
Lasse Pyykkö — Guitar, Bass, Keyboards
Pekka Koskelo — Drums

Guest Musicians
Antti Poutanen — Cello
John McNulty — Spoken Word

Production Credits
Recorded by Heikki Marttila at Guru Studio, Joensuu, Finland.
Mixed by Heikki Marttila.
Mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios, Portugal.

Cover Art
Wes Benscoter (https://www.wesbenscoter.com)

Photography
Pasi Nevalaita

Follow Hooded Menace
Bandcamp: https://hoodedmenace.bandcamp.com/music
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoodedmenaceofficial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoodedmenaceofficial/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/10mjw8SFRZjS0d8tecdEW8
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/hooded-menace/364200709
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/3748981
Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/4754969

Over the past 20 odd years, Hooded Menace have stood not as a bridge but a pillar between two different realms of underground metal. The cultishly beloved band’s upcoming seventh album is still bound by a morbid obsession with classic horrors. But on Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, Finland’s stewards of death-doom remain far from stuck in their ways. Lead single “Portrait Without a Face” cranks up the neon-soaked nightmares while digging out a grave new surprise from under their long-sleeve.   

Watch below the classic horror video for “Portrait Without a Face”.

The video for “Portrait Without a Face” was directed by Tekla Valy with additional footage filmed by Mikko Saastamoinen.

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration comes out October 3, 2025 on Season of Mist. 

Pre-order & Pre-save: https://orcd.co/hoodedmenacelachrymosemonumentsofobscuration

Hooded Menace continue to pave a harrowing path for undying metal legions who crave creepier, crushing tempos. The band’s new single opens with drummer Pekka Koskelo pounding like death’s door. Their flesh-eating muse still looms over Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. Cover artist Wes Benscoter recreates director Amando de Ossorio’s the Blind Dead in all of the film’s ghoulish glory. But the album hammers home the influence of ’80s heavy metal that was rung in by previous LP The Tritonus Bell. With its conspiratorial web of leads, “Portrait Without a Face” bears a glowing resemblance to King Diamond. 

The lasting influence of Candlemass and Paradise Lost hasn’t vanished without a trace, but Hooded Menace continue to break the mold that they’ve set for death-doom. While the bone-crushing riffs of founding member Lasse Pyykkö cement the rock-solid foundation beneath Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, even he was surprised when sculpting the album’s lead single. Like an echo from beyond the grave, what should appear within “Portrait Without a Face” but the haunted moan of a cello.

“Sucked into the realm of sweet damnation“. Vocalist Harri Kuokkanen growls deep into the dead of night, as if lured down a darkened hallway by former live bassist Antii Poutanen’s sorrowful string saws.

Tracklist
1. Twilight Passages (1:04)
2. Pale Masquerade (7:50)
3. Portrait Without a Face (7:15) [WATCH]
4. Daughters of Lingering Pain (7:25)
5. Lugubrious Dance (7:20)
6. Save a Prayer (6:12)
7. Into Haunted Oblivion (9:47)

For closing in on two decades, Hooded Menace have stood not as a bridge but the pillar between two underground realms. The band’s upcoming seventh album still paves the way for metal legions who prefer headbanging to more creepily, crushing tempos. However, while Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration is still rooted in a cultish obsession with the classics, these stewards of death-doom remain far from stuck in their ways.     

Starting as a teenager in the late ’80s, founding member Lasse Pyykkö got his start in Joensuu, Finland with the band Phlegethon. But the undead spirit that’s guided Hooded Menace since its 2007 conception first appeared back when he was just a young hesher. Dracula, Poltergeist, A Nightmare on Elm Street and other horrors piqued his morbid curiosity. Though later on, it was feasting on the cult classic Tombs of the Blind Dead that spawned the band’s accursed two-track demo.  

“It’s the dark element”, Lasse recalls when asked what Hooded Menace draws from its source material five albums removed from the band’s terrifying breakthrough Never Cross the Dead.  

The blind dead still stand watch over Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. Returning cover artist Wes Benscoter recreates the Knights Templar in all their glowingly ghoulish glory. “Pale Masquerade” paints a familiar scene, summoning Amando de Ossorio’s flesh-eating muse with a fresh heap of Lasse’s bone-crunching chugs. “The dead army grows“, Harri Kuokkanen commands with growls that reek of the crypt. Lifelong converts will quickly fall in line behind steadfast drummer Pekka Koskelo, who dips “Daughters of Lingering Pain” into the same dripping vat of wax as the band’s 2010s effigies for Relapse Records. The lasting influence of Candlemass and Paradise Lost hasn’t vanished without a trace. But Hooded Menace continue to break the mold they helped set for death-doom right from the album’s opening jump scare. Neon keys beam through “Twilight Passages” as if firing up a time machine.   

Reinvention isn’t new to Hooded Menace. While a menacing vocalist in his own right, Lasse passed the proverbial mic torch to Kuokkanen for the gloomier melodies that haunted the band’s initial offering after signing with Season of Mist late in 2016. Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed was also pulled more from the shadows of their imagination as opposed to the silver screen. Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration trends further in that direction; the lyric sheet unfurls like a house of psychological horrors, where the hallways are hung with shattered mirrors and faceless portraits. Only this time around, the trio really hammered home the influence of ’80s heavy metal that was rung in by previous long-player The Tritonus Bell. “Lugubrious Dance” twists between the hallucinogenic spires of Cathedral in conspiracy with King Diamond before cranking into a chorus that’s classic Hooded Menace.  

MicroPitching and other effects aren’t the only tricks of the trade that are pulled out from under Hooded Menace’s cloak. Traditional death-doomers might have been pleasantly surprised by the band covering W.A.S.P., so imagine the delighted screams upon hearing a Top of the Pops’ gem like “Save a Prayer” splattered in their signature blood-soaked dread. Lasse’s riffs still cement the rock-solid foundation beneath Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, but even he was surprised when sculpting its lead single. What should appear from the double bass swirling amidst “Portrait Without a Face” but the moan of a cello. Like an echo from beyond the grave, the cry of strings reappears during the album’s grand finale. Former live bassist Antti Poutanen sorrowfully saws as the band marches, gallops then sinks back “Into Haunted Oblivion”.  

On Lachyrmose Monuments of Obscuration, Hooded Menace cast death-doom in a ghostly new light. 

Line-up
Harri Kuokkanen — Vocals
Lasse Pyykkö — Guitar, Bass, Keyboards
Pekka Koskelo — Drums

Guest Musicians
Antti Poutanen — Cello
John McNulty — Spoken Word

Production Credits
Recorded by Heikki Marttila at Guru Studio, Joensuu, Finland.
Mixed by Heikki Marttila.
Mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios, Portugal.

Cover Art
Wes Benscoter (https://www.wesbenscoter.com)

Photography
Pasi Nevalaita

Follow Hooded Menace
Bandcamp: https://hoodedmenace.bandcamp.com/music
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoodedmenaceofficial/
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Season of Mist are proud to announce the re-signing of HOODED MENACE. The Death Doom outfit will release their next full-length via the label. HOODED MENACE‘s previous album ‘The Tritonus Bell’ was released on August 27, 2021 and can be listened to via various digital platforms HERE.
 

HOODED MENACE comment: “We’re looking forward to work with Season of Mist for more Hooded Menace music! This is the first time for us to re-sign to any label, so that says a lot, I suppose. Since we are not playing live anymore, but went back to being a “studio band” only –  just like Hooded Menace was meant to be in the beginning – we’ve decided to part ways with Teemu Hannonen (rhythm guitar) in good spirits and continue as a three-piece.“

Line-up
Harri Kuokkanen – Vocals 
Lasse Pyykkö – Guitars, bass
Pekka Koskelo – Drums

Death doom masters HOODED MENACE have been nominated for an Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy)! The band’s new album, ‘The Tritonus Bell,’ has received the prestigious nomination in the metal category. The ceremony will take place on February 5, 2022 at the Hartwell Arena in Helsinki [FI] where winners will be revealed! The full nominations for the Metal category are as follows:

·  Beast In Black – Dark Connection
·  Bloodred Hourglass – Your Highness
·  Bodom After Midnight – Paint the Sky with Blood
·  Hooded Menace – The Tritonus Bell
·  Korpiklaani – Jylhä

‘The Tritonus Bell’ is out NOW and can be streamed, downloaded, and ordered HERE.