Hod - Book of the Worm

Hod
Book of the Worm
2014 Arctic Music
It's been a while since Hod's debut album, but here at last is the followup.  Prior to giving this one a listen, I went back and played "Serpent" in its entirety.  I'm very happy to say that on "Book of the Worm," Hod haven't really changed.  They're still playing blackend death metal in the early Dark Funeral / early to mid-period Marduk vein, keeping things just as fast and heavy as before.  Lord Necron's probably going to want to rip me a new one for that, but he'll have to get in line.  Besides, Dark Funeral's debut mCD and "Secrets of the Black Arts" are classics, regardless of what the band degenerated into shortly afterwards.  So yes, we're talking fast and furious black metal here with no frills.  No keyboards, no backing female vocals, no bongos, no accordian... Come to think of it, I haven't heard any new bands lately putting in everything they can think of, so maybe that misguided trend has finally died a painful death?  Anti-metal religious leaders may preach about the sins of bands like Slayer or Motley Crue, but it's the hairy hulking hordes of Hod that they should really be worried about.  Because for Hod, it's not about the image.  It's not about the money.  It's about the music and the message, both of which they take to the extreme and beyond.