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HOODED MENACE “Obscure Revelation”
HOODED MENACE “Obscure Revelation”
By Dr. Abner Mality
By Dr. Abner Mality
The journey of the Templars has been a dark one…but there are different kinds of darkness. On their new album “Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration”, Finland’s HOODED MENACE are taking a different path into the night, one with more melody but still retaining the ominous doom for which this band is renowned.
That can be a tricky undertaking, as fans of underground metal are sometimes unforgiving when it comes to even minor stylistic changes The Good Doctor himself is a huge fan of the earlier, more gruesome HOODED MENACE works, so there was a little trepidation on my part when investigating “Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration”.
No need to worry! The album emerges as something fresh and new for the band while retaining the dreadful doom and gloom for which they’re known. So it was time to visit the Templar crypt and summon up the doleful shade of Lasse Pykko to tell us all about this adventurous step ahead…
WORMWOOD CHRONICLES: Greetings, Lasse, and thanks for speaking to us. The new HOODED MENACE “Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration” is upon us at last. What was the primary thing you wanted to accomplish with this album that makes it different from past work?
LASSE PYKKO: Hello and thanks for having me! It’s not like we planned it, but since I’ve been mostly listening to ‘80s heavy metal and hard rock, it was not a surprise to me that the emphasis of classic heavy metal is even stronger on the new album than before. This time we also wanted to have a bit more polished production because that would serve the songs the best. We looked up to the fine-produced heavy metal albums from the past rather than, say, “Forest of Equilibrium” by CATHEDRALl, which is a masterpiece for what it is.
WC: The album title is quite verbose. What’s the meaning behind that title or is it just a nice collection of sounds?
LP: Of course there’s more to it than just cool sounding words lumped together. I can tell you it deals with grief and the unknown, but we don’t want to explain the titles or lyrics too much, but rather leave them open for interpretation.
WC: HOODED MENACE is a band that is known to take its time with albums. Was it a long process coming up with the new songs or did inspiration come quickly once you started?
LP: The songs were written somewhere from 2022 to 2024. As usual, I took my time and didn’t rush it. One day writing is easy, the next day you might bang your head to the wall until it breaks. I know it seems like a long time to write an album, but it´s not like I wrote all the time. There’re other things in life too, you know.
WC: The band is closing in on its 20th anniversary. Are you motivated by the same things now as when you started or has there been a real change in how things are done?
LP: The basic motivation remains the same, which is to create music that, above all, gives us satisfaction.
WC: The cover art for the new album is outstanding and looks to be your best ever. What’s the story behind this masterpiece?
LP: Again, I don’t want to explain it too much. Me and the artist (Wes Benscoter) bounced e-mails back and forth until the final concept was nailed. I think the cover art fits the mood of the music, and of course, the album title very well.
WC: The Blind Dead still seem to be an important inspiration for you. Did you know the first time you saw them that you had to create music in their honor?
LP: It would sound cool to say so, but no, it wasn’t like that.
WC: Is there one song in particular that’s your favorite from the new album or one that means more to you?
LP: My current favourite track is “Into Haunted Oblivion”. There’s a lot going on there; different atmospheres and sounds from cello to IRON MAIDEN-esque synth, big tempo changes, Tom G. Warrior type of wailing vocals, and one of the heaviest riffs on the album - the one after the chorus with the cello on top.
WC: Right now HOODED MENACE is a three piece. Do you add session members when you play live? Or is the band pretty much a studio project at this point?
LP: Yeah, we’re a studio band only. We stopped playing live in 2018 already.
WC: What was the most unusual venue you’ve ever played?
LP: I don’t know… We’ve played from the smallest bars to the stages of Hellfest. I can’t think of anything that unusual though.
WC: If you read horror literature, who are some of your favorite authors and stories?
LP:I mostly read biographies, but otherwise I’m a terribly lazy reader, I have to admit. I could namedrop Poe, Lovecraft and Stephen King for some of the horror stuff I’ve read.
WC: Are you involved in any other bands or projects outside HOODED MENACE? How about other band members?
LP: At the moment I have nothing else going on, and neither does Pekka. Harri has his solo project HAIL CONJURER, and he also plays in RIDE FOR REVENGE and DEVIL'S GATEWAY, to mention a few.
WC: Have you ever experienced any supernatural or inexplicable events?
LP: No, not to my recollection.
WC: If you could have dinner with any three people from history, who would they be?
LP: Hmmm, I don’t know… off the top of my head: Salvador Dali, David Bowie and Jesus (wine to no end!).
WC: Have you ever had any Spinal Tap moment where things went haywire that you could share with us?
LP: Nothing Spinal Tappy enough comes to mind… or maybe I just want to keep it to myself…
WC Any last words or messages for the fans?
LP: Grab the new album! Thanks for the support!
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