Band: HOD Album: Cry and Piss Yourself Label: Metal Hit Rating: 5.5/10 Website: http://www.myspace.com /hodtheband BUY NOW!

With a name that I cannot quite comprehend, HOD have hit the extreme metal scene this year with debut EP "Cry and Piss Yourself". With the name in mind I kept a box of tissues by my side as I listened to this album sitting on the toilet but I am glad, if not a tad disappointed, that they failed to keep either of the promises made in the title. Anyway, the underground Black Metal scene has boomed in recent years and with so much of it extremely boring in my opinion, I constantly remain hopeful that one day, a band will be created which will provide me with something of a little more of interest and perhaps imagination. Is new band HOD the one to do it? Hmmm...while not overly enthusiastic about the prospect of reviewing yet another fresh black metal band I keep an open mind. To say I was disappointed would be exaggerating as I wasn't listening with any high level of expectation but even so, I was distinctly dissatisfied with the overall quality of the music on this album. This was not due to problems with the song writing or musicianship...it was more an overwhelming sense of "not again...haven't we seen this all before!". and that is the best way to depict the album for you. If a band is to succeed in the underground black metal scene today then they must have out in a certain distinguishing feature and I would be lying if I said that this album contained any particular attribute that we haven't seen a thousand times over. It is just becoming boring. To fans like me who are always probing for something more exotic to whet their metal taste buds, I can assure you that the glamorous fantasies will not be realised here. That said...to metal fans who just enjoy the sluggish, harshness of the black metal sound, this album is without a doubt one that you will enjoy...as, I must confess, did I! The opener "9 Days" reminds me of a more jovial, less aggressive "Immortal", but that is nothing new. We must pay heed to the literally hundreds of other underground bands who aspire to the violent sound of arguably the "Black Kings". While the second track, "Demoralizer", has much more of an edge to it and is the only track on the 3-song EP to possess such an inventive feel, but by the time we reach the solo, (which in itself isn't particularly interesting) the brilliant opening riff has been over used to the point of absolute lack of interest, leaving me with no desire to listen for a second time. The final song is...well I won't waste your time; just re-read the paragraph and you'll get a good enough picture. Overall...another monotonously mediocre Black Metal album. If you are a die hard fan of the genre then you will enjoy this EP whether tedious or not, but if you have never really been able to get into metals most exclusive genre and are searching for a band which will provide you with an entry into the secluded genus, take heed of my warning, this is not the group to do it. Nevertheless another solid Black debut but if you ask me, you're better off sticking with the better known bands such as Emperor and Immortal. Lewis Klein Back to Reviews