For nearly two decades, Finland’s Hooded Menace have been less a “bridge” in the world of underground metal and more of a concrete pillar covered in cobwebs, mildew, and probably some ectoplasm. With their upcoming seventh full-length, Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration (out October 3, 2025 via Season of Mist), the death-doom veterans prove they’re still capable of dragging horror into new and unsettling territory.
The lead single, “Portrait Without a Face,” makes its presence known with Pekka Koskelo’s drumming hammering like an impatient ghoul at death’s door. And just when you think you know where the grave is being dug, in creeps an unexpected instrument: the cello. Because nothing says “crushing doom” quite like an orchestral string section mourning in the background.
The video, directed by Tekla Valy, leans heavily into classic horror cinema aesthetics—think glowing crypts, faceless entities, and the kind of visuals that make you wonder if your VHS copy of The Blind Dead is suddenly playing in reverse.
Horror, But Make It Heavy
Founding guitarist Lasse Pyykkö and his hooded crew are still obsessed with their usual cocktail of Dracula, Poltergeist, and crumbling European graveyards, but Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration also tips its bony hand toward ‘80s heavy metal theatrics. Think King Diamond in a cemetery lit by neon fog. Tracks like “Lugubrious Dance” weave hallucinogenic Cathedral-like riffs into conspiratorial leads, while “Save a Prayer”—yes, the Duran Duran cover—gets smeared in Hooded Menace’s signature death-doom grime.
Cover artist Wes Benscoter once again resurrects the skeletal Knights Templar from Amando de Ossorio’s Tombs of the Blind Dead, ensuring that even the album artwork feels like a VHS rental you were too young to check out in the first place.
Praise From the Crypt
Metal outlets are already lining up with their candles and cloaks:
“Death-Doom’s most consistent band.” – The Metal Meltdown
“They’ve figured out how to do death-doom with honest-to-Elder Gods hooks, and it fits them like an executioner’s glove.” – New Noise
“As always, hail Lasse.” – BangerTV
And, my personal favorite: “After the riffs fade into the cavern’s ancient silence, the shrouded specters turn and nod in approval. Fade to black.” – Decibel (dramatic much?).
The Verdict
With Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, Hooded Menace aren’t just sticking to their well-carved coffin—they’re redecorating it with neon lights, cello wails, and the occasional glam-metal flourish. For a band built on horror, they’re not afraid to surprise you, even if the surprise sounds like being buried alive with a Walkman playing Mercyful Fate.
So, prepare your cloaks, sharpen your gravestones, and maybe dust off your VHS player. Death-doom season is coming October 3.
