Since the seventies, many bands followed the steps in our forefathers of BLACK SABBATH. The foundations of Doom Metal lie on their four first albums of these pioneers from Birmingham, when the quartet played bitter end slow tempos that make everything heavy. These are the same elements that HOODED PRIEST, a quartet from Netherlands that is releasing their second full length, "The Hour Be None".

As you all already know, Doom Metal is based on funereal and oppressive slow tempos, what the quartet presents. But unlike many bands, the vocals are in a melodic way, and the band work can be compared sometimes to what CANDLEMASS did on their earlier works. Obviously, it's not fair to compare Luther with Messiah Marcolin, but his voice fits on the band's work. Their music is massive and oppressive, filled with good guitar riffs and a solid work from bass guitar and drums. It's nothing new, but something really good.

On the production, the band had a fine work. On the songs, we can hear that everything is in their due places, with a clean and heavy sound, and well-chosen instrumental tunes (that are clear as well, not abrasive as Stoner Rock bands love to use). But if you ask if the band known how to play heavy, I must answer that it is truly heavy!

Five very long songs are what they present on "The Hour Be None" (the first track, "Dolen - Exiting the Real", is just an intro). But the heavy and oppressive melodies and good guitars of "Call for the Hearse", the excellent dynamics that we can hear on the musical arrangements of "Herod Again" and the excellent funereal tempos of "Mother of Plagues" can be said as their finest moments. They are a good band with a great potential. But I believe that HOODED PRIEST can do better than we hear on "The Hour Be None".