Finnish doom band Hooded Menace is preparing to release its Relapse debut, Effigies of Evil, in early September. Although they’ve definitely planted a flag on Planet Sabbath, this band cherry-picks other genres to increase the brutality factor — listen for the familiar grinding grit of death greats like Cannibal Corpse and Napalm Death mixed in with all the sludge. There’s no Ozzyesque bleating here, just brutal guttural goodness that only makes the ear-bludgeoning sweeter.
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• Hooded Menace: http://hoodedmenace.bandcamp.com
• Relapse Records: http://www.relapse.com