Music: Black/Death Metal
Country: USA
Web site: http://www.myspace.com/hodtheband
Cool Songs: Victims, The Serpent of the Nightmare Empire, Ritual of Vengeance
HOD is a south Texas band featuring some of the best extreme metal musicians just north of the border. On the groups debut full-length recording Serpent, one will find alumni from a diverse section of metal groups including THORN SPAWN, G.G. ALLIN, NECROVORE and PILLCRUSHER. While HOD keeps a base that threads the needle between black and death metal, the assortment of bands each member previously played in results in a product yielding other influences such as thrash, old school heavy metal and early death and black metal.
Demoralizer, a track with a name that cries out attitude, is HODs homage to pissed off speed metal, although the original form of this music would never enlist a front man with the type of scum-throated vocal emissions as Beer Reebs. This track has a steady, fist-pumping beat that works quit well in a live setting. HOD casts a mid-paced blackened death web around most of their tracks that tend to defy comparison.
At some points, HOD resembles the mighty MORBID ANGEL, particularly the Altars period. Nowhere is this more evident than on The Serpent of the Nightmare Empire. Here, the group emulates the same type of halted, cutting motion as the guitars on MORBID ANGELs Chapel of Ghouls. Drummer Dennis Sanders even picks up the pace by pounding his snare in a Pete Sandoval manner. This is definitely one of the albums highlights.
Another part that may bring to mind other groups comes during Victims. On this track, one of the rhythms undulates in a serpentine motion not unlike MARDUKs early material. Ritual of Vengeance is another stand out track. Like the bit of a venomous spider, Ritual of Vengeance opens with strafing guitar chords that leave a poisonous residue. Further into the track, guitarists Lord Necron and Bjorn Haga produce more winding rhythms that may cause the listener to feel as if he/she were stuck in a maze .of torment!
Over the past couple of years, HOD has established itself as one of the major players in Texas rich metal scene. With a couple of tours under the groups belt with such heralded names as INCANTATION and MONSTROSITY, and finding Ibex Moon Records to release Serpent, HOD is one of the breakout acts of 2009. Spikes, leather, big amps, hammering drums and Satanwhat more do you need?
note: 7/10
Tracklist
1. Victims
2. Ritual of Vengeance
3. God of Darkness and Winter
4. Nine Days
5. Demoralizer
6. Harbinger of Death
7. The Serpent of the Nightmare Empire
Total playing time 36:47
Line-up
Beer Reebs – Vocals
Bjorn Haga – Guitar
Carl “Lord Necron” Snyder – Guitar
Derrik Rivers – Bass
Dennis Sanders – Drums
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