National Music Reviews
Hell
III
Eternal Warfare
Street: 10.11.12
Hell = Leviathan + Ahab + Evoken
I’d heard of the one-man doom cult Hell at different points over the past few years, but I was never sufficiently interested to actually give the band a listen. After digesting III, I’m unsure if this was a good or a bad decision. Multi-instrumentalist M.S.W. is a more-than-proficient songwriter, and the tones from all instruments on this album are masterful, but there is something about this release that just doesn’t work. Aside from the unnecessary Napalm Records-ish female vocals scattered throughout, there isn’t one specific thing that I can put my finger on that ruins the release. In fact, I believe with multiple listens, it will become at the very least a sporadic spin in my collection, but as of this writing, III is simply not something I can get overly excited about. Maybe time and a more open mind will sway my opinion, but until then, there are far better bands of this ilk that deserve your attention. –Gavin Hoffman