One of the tasks that a writer must have is to search for the right values and identity of a musical work from a band. To do so, a great amount of experience as a listener is demanded. You must know, then you can start to think about writing something, and to research deeper on a band's work is truly a hard trial many times. In the case of the German quartet HEXER, it's not so difficult, because their first full-length, called "Cosmic Doom Ritual" has the answer for many questions on its title.

They are playing a filthy and lardy Stoner/Doom Metal form of music, with long tracks and a truly dirty sound. Ok, this formula is not new; it was used many times before this quartet came to life. They have personality, but it is buried under this raw sound we hear. If they just want to make our ears ache, they are in the right way, but I don't believe on it. I understand that Stoner Rock/Metal must sound dirty and raw sometimes, but many bands had a cleaner insight than this and had better results. Once more, they have personality, but must improve on their efforts.

The album was recorded by Alex Pojda at Holodeck Studio, mixed by the hands of Jan Kerscher, and mastered by Philipp Welsing. But I can't understand this need to sound so filthy and nasty, because their tunes, allied with all this dirtiness is turning the comprehension of they are playing extremely hard. It's not a matter how the style must sound, but how their music can sound in the best was possible, and I'm sure that this is not the right one for them. There is one more problem: their songs are lasting more than 10 minutes, and this feature makes their work really boring. No, I don't mean that "Merkaba", "Pearl Snake" and "Black Lava Flow" are terrible songs; some good experimental elements can be heard (at a high cost due the sound quality), but they are longer than the needed. Sorry, this isn't avant-garde music, but a way to bore us all.

They are talented, and a better producer can produce miracles.