Hypnos: Hypnos

Retro doomsters don’t manage to relive the horror

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

Any band recording their debut must first ask: “Are we doing something new, and if not, are we at least breathing new life into an old style?”

Otherwise, what’s the point of leaving the snug familiarity of the weekend pub circuit? Hypnos are a beardy, denim-clad quintet charging hard into the heart of the crowded fray of 70s revivalism. Channelling the spooky posturing of proto-metal pioneers like Pentagram, Nightmares and The Mountain showcase clustered, high-octane rhythms banging noisily beneath bluesy arena rock solos, all awash in lyrics of evil and madness, as if culled straight from the pages of Lovecraft. Hypnos delivers eight well-crafted, if reverential, forays into the spooky recesses of 70s doom. Breakneck tempos and flashes of psychedelia abound, yet frustratingly absent is the nihilistic abandon or acute desperation that invigorated the original style. What remains is a serviceable clutch of generic retro-rock that one will be hard pressed to recall soon after the album is done.

Via Crusher

Joe Daly

Hailing from San Diego, California, Joe Daly is an award-winning music journalist with over thirty years experience. Since 2010, Joe has been a regular contributor for Metal Hammer, penning cover features, news stories, album reviews and other content. Joe also writes for Classic Rock, Bass Player, Men’s Health and Outburn magazines. He has served as Music Editor for several online outlets and he has been a contributor for SPIN, the BBC and a frequent guest on several podcasts. When he’s not serenading his neighbours with black metal, Joe enjoys playing hockey, beating on his bass and fawning over his dogs.