Can’t say I know much about the Baltic countries in general or Lithuania in particular. I have never been there, nor met somebody from there, nor do I recall having ever come across a band from there. But I imagine this particular part of Europe to be a cross between Scandinavia and Slavic countries – quite interesting therefore. The scenery from the band photo on their Bandcamp page – a run-down bus stop, with cracked asphalt from which weeds are growing – looks more like Russia than Scandinavia. Apart from that I can’t tell you much about the band’s country of origin or their background. If you want to know more, you will have to dig it up yourself. Why is that important in the first place? Well, music doesn’t come into existence in a vacuum. The background of a band matters. It shapes their music in one way or other.
Hellhookah are a two-piece from Vilnius. With about half a million inhabitants it is Lithuania’s biggest city and its capitol. Arnas (guitars/bass/vocals) and Gintarė (drums) started their band in 2012 and played their first show in 2014. Their debut album Endless Serpents came out in 2016. The release was followed by shows all over Europe. Not an easy feat to accomplish if you come from the fringes of the continent.
The Curse is the band’s new and recently released long-player. In just under forty minutes its seven tracks offer pretty solid doom metal. It’s old school enough to instantly appeal to any doom and stoner fan, but has also a personal touch which prevents it from sounding too generic. Arnas’ deep, howling vocals let you know that this band, apart from the doom classics, also likes Glenn Danzig. A bit of rock’n’roll in the metal here and there reminds you of Motörhead. The lyrics are based on life experiences and diverse trials you have to go through on planet Earth.
Whether The Curse is a step forward from the band’s debut effort I can’t say, because I’m not familiar with Endless Serpents, and there was no time to give both albums an in-depth listen. I did give it a quick check though and must say that I like the production of the debut better. At times, the fuzz and distortion on The Curse are a bit overdone resulting in a rather mushy sound. At other times, details like the cymbals are too pronounced in the mix and become somewhat annoying. Once you’ve heard them, you can’t unhear them and your concentration is stuck on them. That’s especially the case in the second part of the track Supremacy, but also on the album’s closer, Greed and Power.
Altogether, not bad at all, but nothing new either. Plenty to like for doom and stoner fans.
(6/10 Slavica)
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