Formed in Charleston, SC, Hooded Eagle have put out a few short releases prior to this full length debut, Nightscapes from the Abyssal Plane. There have been a few line-up changes and shifts in sound, but it seems the extreme doom metal band is settingling into a comfortable niche. Hooded Eagle have shared the stage with High on Fire, Eyehategod, Darkest Hour, Skeletonwitch, and Black Tusk to name a few.
The name of the game here is patience. As someone who rarely delves into the doomed genre, I have trouble at times sitting through the endless trudge of palm mutes and sustains. Even so, I could see the appeal of this release to those more keen on shutting the world out and draining their vitality through their earbuds. Song length aside, I am happy with a lot of the songwriting choices that the band makes throughout the album. They are not afraid to pick up the pace or add some melody as on the intro to "I Have Dreams" or the midpoint of "The Path of Eternal Sorrow." These moments really pop in an otherwise unending sea of sorrow.
And that is where I get stuck. I would like the songs to be more concise with more additions to the structure...but would doing so decrease their overall impact? Are these transitions so effective because they are rare, hidden pearls in an ungly backdrop of howls, feedback, and distortion? I may never be sure, and it's a conundrum. Even so, there is a certain appeal to the more monotonous portions. They have a certain 90's grunge charm to them.
So ultimately, I like Nightscapes from the Abyssal Plane. Generally speaking, if it's doom and I don't care for it, I just don't review it. Hooded Eagle haven't blown me away here, but I was intrigued enough to stick around and take the time to put these words to paper. They are more interesting to me than much of the doom that I encounter, and with that said I think bigger fans of the genre will really enjoy it much more than I did. See what you think below for yourself.