Hooded Menace Reawaken Classic Horror on “Pale Masquerade”

Posted on August 25, 2025

More information about Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration

Ever since they formed in 2007, Hooded Menace have commanded hordes of underground metalheads with creepily, crushing tempos. Their upcoming seventh album is still grounded in classic horrors. But on Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, the Finnish stewards of death-doom remain far from stuck in their ways.

“…an ominous, cinematic plunge into horror-inspired doom, blending eerie atmosphere with crushing heaviness”, Metal Injection wrote in praise of the album’s first single.

Today, Hooded Menace are releasing the second advanced single from Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. “Pale Masquerade” unveils a scene that’s chillingly familiar for cult followers. But by leaning heavier on classic influences, the band cast their age-old muse in a ghostly new light.

Listen to “Pale Masquerade” on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.

https://youtu.be/KcIBvJoXPE0?si=AjI6ZF7vU9Lsd-Tk

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration comes out October 3, 2025 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order & Pre-save
https://orcd.co/hoodedmenacelachrymosemonumentsofobscuration

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration still honors the undead spirit that spawned Hooded Menace’s accursed two-track demo. On the album’s cover, Wes Benscoter summons the titular ghouls from the ’70s Spanish horror film series The Blind Dead in all of their haunting glory. “Pale Masquerade” officially opens the proceedings at a doomy march that summons Amando de Ossorio’s vengeful muse back amongst the living. “The dead army grows“, vocalist Harri Kuokkannen commands with growls that reek of the crypt.Founding member Lasse Pyykkö still stands as the main supportive pillar for Hooded Menace. His riffs tear through the band’s new single like flesh from bone. But Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration hammers home the ’80s heavy metal influence that the band rung in on The Tritonus Bell. Misty keys drape “Pale Masquerade” in an eerie, neon glow. “A clandestine, sinister daze / In the Knights Templar way“. As the drums push the pace to a rotten rumble, a guitar solo cracks across the darkened sky like a flash from the past.

More praise for Hooded Menace

“Hooded Menace have consistently succeeded in boasting a bludgeon of unruly extremity” – Angry Metal Guy

“As always, hail Lasse” – BangerTV

“After the riffs fade into the cavern’s ancient silence, the shrouded specters turn and watch Pyykkö, a hoodie casting shadows over his eyes. In unison, they nod in approval. Fade to black” – Decibel

“…it’s good to see metal’s customary dance with past being respected and admired, but also put to enlightened use” – Metal Injection

“Hooded Menace have figured out how to do death-doom with honest-to-Elder Gods hooks, and it fits them like an executioner’s glove” – New Noise

“Finland’s Hooded Menace strike big” – Invisible Oranges

“If horror/ doom / death is a sub-genre, Hooded Menace is undoubtedly its master” – Last Rites

“…they have proven risks can pay off” – Distorted Sound

“Hooded Menace’s approach to death and doom gives listeners an array of hard-hitting and darkly sublime cuts” – Treble

“Hooded Menace are back to put on a death-doom clinic” – Everything Is Noise

“Hooded Menace cement their status at the forefront of modern death/doom and prove Pyykkö’s songwriting prowess once again” – Toilet Ov Hell

“…these Finns started and perfected this modern death/doom sound that everyone has been aping for the past decade, so it is always good to see the originators back in action” – The Sleeping Shaman

“They manage to separate themselves with a more diverse sound that constantly changes and avoids the generic death metal templates” – MetalBite

“Death-Doom’s most consistent band” – The Metal Meltdown

“These guys know how to write devastatingly killer dual guitar work” – Forgemaster Metal (Best Doom Metal Albums of 2021)

  1. Twilight Passages (1:04)
  2. Pale Masquearade (7:50)
  3. Portrait Without a Face (7:15)
  4. Daughters of Lingering Pain (7:25)
  5. Lugubrious Dance (7:20)
  6. Save a Prayer (6:12)
  7. Into Haunted Oblivion (9:47)
View Hooded Menace