Editor’s note: Considering Matt and Ed’s affinity for “Classic” Metal, I figured Hour of 13 would be right up their ally. I stand corrected.

Hey… I still liked it.

Ed’s Review:

Hour of 13 is a relatively new duo from North Carolina rocking out what they refer to as “True Original Occult Doom” according to their myspace site, yet another example of many new American bands diving head first into the doom metal revival – in this case basically re-hashing and re-working old Candlemass riffs until they are blue in the face, resulting in what sounds like a weed and Makers Mark-laced mess of melodic/retro Candlemass worship. The only problem is, this band doesn’t do it nearly as well as Candlemass, or any other classic doom band for that matter.

The album starts off strong – the first three or four songs are well done, but like so many other records in this genre it starts to fall off into generic territory about half way through, offering little more than fairly bland classic-style doom riffs with the same high-pitched vocal arrangements throughout. The production has a very 80’s/reverb vibe to it (commonly known as the “Metal Blade” production in reference to the 80’s Celtic Frost sound), all the guitar solos are pelted with way too much delay effect (probably to make up for the lack of skill in this area), the vocalist is a direct cross between Ozzy and Messiah Marcolin, and the rhythm guitars are about what you’d expect – slow, heavy, punishing. Of course there are moments where you find yourself banging your head to the groove – and there are some killer grooves – I just don’t think this material holds up to the classics by any means.

Highlights: Title/kick off track “The Ritualists” is a good doom track, solid rhythm guitars and catchy vocals. “Demons All Around Me” has a great chorus. Final track “The Crawlspace” has some cool moments. There are other elements, particularly guitar riffs, contained within the album that are fairly rocking also.

Overall this band knows what they are doing, but compared to the heavyweights of contemporary doom (think Daylight Dies, Solitude Aeternus, etc.) this is definitely a “burn it” CD.

Ed’s Rating:

King says: “Only two guys in the band? My make-up staff is bigger than that!!!”

Matt’s Review:

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that doom metal is one of those sub-genres that can theoretically encompass a very broad range of musical territory. Unlike many of its relatives – thrash, death, grindcore, speed, biker, glory, and war metal – doom is one of the few that allows for a great deal of experimentation and originality, while at the same time not sounding too forced or diluted. Several bands have managed to successfully pull this off over the years and thus distinguish themselves as a result (Paradise Lost, Novembers Doom, Type O Negative, My Dying Bride, Isis). Others have managed to do the opposite and simply sound forgettable and/or like something that has been rehashed about as many times as a shitty Godfather impersonation (Bongzilla, Acid Bath, Electric Wizard, Crowbar). Either way, it’s all subjective… but in my meaningless opinion, Hour of 13 leans more towards the latter category, unfortunately.

I had never heard of these guys until I was kindly asked to review this album. Therefore, I can honestly call this a completely unbiased review and will surely sleep guilt-free tonight.

The first track, “The Gathering,” is very short (only 2:09 min) and comes off as very psychedelic, yet generic open chord doom metal with an uneasy David Bowie-meets-present-day-Ozzy vocals. With it being so short, it’s hardly fair to make any stern judgments just yet… The next song, “The Ritualists,” seems to carve out a much more definitive expectation of what the rest of the album might sound like. The riffing is much more Sabbath-inspired (nothing groundbreaking in 2010 by any means), which naturally makes the vocals blend in a bit better. Although the flow of riffs is fairly nice throughout, the reverb-filled solo and “Ohhhhh” vocals towards the end are a bad choice.

“Naked Star” consists almost entirely of riffs that sound like they were stolen directly from a Dio-era Sabbath album and/or the Dio song “Holy Diver.” Not only is there another bad reverb-drenched solo, but the song awkwardly fades out during a verse at the end. More bad choices have been made.
“Demons All Around Me,” on the other hand, is a pretty awesome song. The riffing is very much in the realm of early Mercyful Fate with a hint of Judas Priest and is much more progressive than the previous songs. Done very well here indeed… even enough for me to forgive the sub-par solo at the end, which I’m guessing is going to be a pattern from here on out…

“Possession” takes us back to Dio-era Sabbath rip-offs, with the intro and verse riffs sounding almost exactly like “Sign Of The Southern Cross.” I’m not that impressed with this one… and it’s pointless for me to even mention the solos anymore.

“Soldiers Of Satan“… I’m pretty much bored up until 4:30, when a kick-ass fast riff finally breaks up the monotonous one-dimensional vocals and sub-par riffing for the remainder of the song.

“Evil Inside” offers much of the same formula. As with “Soldiers,” there is ‘that one part’ between 4:50 and 5:20 that breaks up the monotony with a double-time chuggy riff.

Needless to say, I felt like getting to the last song, “The Crawlspace,” was a bit of a chore… and yes, that’s only eight songs total. However, I do like this one much more than the others, with “Demons” being the lone exception (yes, my fav!). Like “Demons,” this one is much more progressive, with a good flow and use of different tempo changes throughout.

All in all, “The Ritualist” reveals a band that is largely one-dimensional in every aspect and has little to offer in terms of originality, technicality, and songwriting prowess. While there were some good moments here and there, the album as a whole is largely forgettable.

Matt’s Rating:

King says: “Those are demons all around you?  Hmm… could’ve sworn they were just dwarf extras from the movie Willow.”

Have A Listen:

Hour of 13 – The Ritualists:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.