Hooded Menace

Hooded Menace are a death/doom band formed in Joensuu, Finland in 2007 by Lasse Pyykkö (also known from the cult Finnish death metal band Phlegethon). Very much influenced by the 80´s Candlemass, early Cathedral and Paradise Lost, Autopsy, Asphyx and Winter, the band wanted to play really doom-laden death metal that combined crushing and somber riffs with a hint of melody. Many of their lyrics are inspired by the classic 1970s Spanish horror series The Blind Dead that included the films “Tombs of the Blind Dead”, “Return of the Evil Dead”, “Horror of the Zombies”, and “Night of the Seagulls”.

In 2007, Hooded Menace recorded a 2-song demo titled “The Eyeless Horde” and the following year the demo was pressed on 7″ by Doomentia Records. The band unleashed their debut album “Fulfill the Curse” in 2008 on Razorback Records with Doomentia handling the LP version. Doomentia also reissued the album on CD in 2010. After “Fulfill the Curse“, the band signed to Profound Lore to release the much acclaimed second full-length “Never Cross the Dead” in 2010. Once again, Doomentia took care of the vinyl version. Decibel Magazine listed “Never Cross the Dead” on their Top 100 Doom Metal Albums of All Time -list as well as Top 30 Finnish Metal Albums of All Time -list. The group got a new record deal with Relapse Records and went on releasing two albums on the label; “Effigies on Evil” in 2012 and “Darkness Drips Forth” in 2015.

Hooded Menace have also released several vinyl splits (with Asphyx and Coffins to name a few) and EP´s, most of them via Doomentia Records. They have toured Europe and the US, opened for legendary bands such as Candlemass and Saint Vitus, and played festivals like Roadburn, Hellfest, Maryland Deathfest, California Deathfest, Netherlands Deathfest, Tuska, Party.San Open Air, Obscene Extreme and many more.

2016 saw the band signing to Season of Mist who released “Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed” in early 2018.