Hoods The King Is Dead (2005) Eulogy

Hoods have been making more or less the same album over and over again since 1995, so by this time everyone should have formulated an opinion on whether or not they like the Sacremento four-piece's version of metal-tinged hardcore. It’s brash, straightforward, and for all intents and purposes, extremely brief. Ten songs in less than twenty minutes, the band wastes no time with extended instrumental passages, guitar solos, intros or outros, as what you see is what you get on each and every track.

The problem is what you see and what you get are both extremely boring. All ten songs focus on mosh parts and ridiculous lyrics more than anything else. The general pace of each track is set at “chug,” with things very rarely rising past that. Vocalist Ben Garcia seems rather uninspired as well, his demeanor more downplayed than usual. The vocals are crisp and out there, but the overwhelming feeling I take from them is that it’s somebody just going through the motions. The mundane song structures obviously don’t cater to a frantic vocal style, but something could be done, especially with those lyrics. Now, I’m about as far away from being politically correct as you could ever be, but there’s simply no need for a line like “You turncoat faggot, you’re fucking done.” It sounds extremely ignorant, and there’s no reason for that word to be in anybody’s lyrics. Other general themes range from revenge to brotherhood, all bellowed in either a throaty shout or deep growl.

When it comes right down to it, it’s just more of the same.

(Anchors)