The album opener Sempiternal Grotesqueries is a typical slice of Hooded Menace doom/death, from the Candlemass influenced opening, to the classic European death metal vibes of Entombed this opening track is a winner as far as I can see.  In recent years I have become quite jaded by the death metal scene in general, however this feels fresh and exciting. The vocals are just the right side of guttural, and the riffs have an almost symphonic quality to them that shows off a little of the band’s virtuosity. The mixture of doom and death metal elements works beautifully and the song’s ten minute running time allows for plenty of switching things up between styles. Second track In Eerie Deliverance starts off as something much more death metal in style, and features those familiar dual guitar harmonies that have become so integral to the sound of Hooded Menace over the years. Cathedral of Labyrinthine Darkness is an oppressive slice of doom/death that crawls its way out of the filth on all fours, growing stronger as it pulls itself free of the darkness. The lead guitar work on this track is sublime, and the riffs are sluggish, melodic slabs of monolithic metal that should resonate with every genre fan.

Cascade of the Ashes takes us into the second half of the album in typical Hooded Menace style, a heavy slab of funereal doom/death that breaks down at the mid-point only for it to pick up again with some tribal sounding drums that add an element of variety to the mix, keeping the sound fresh. Charnel Reflections is more typical Hooded Menace material and fits squarely into the same box as the album opener Sempiternal Grotesqueries. The perfect amalgamation of death and doom metal. The album concludes with Black Mass a short outro that mixes symphonic metal riffs with some beautiful classical style acoustic guitar.

Overall Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed is the perfect follow up to Darkness Drips Forth, new influences are brought into the mix, however they never detract from the band’s traditional style and in fact they have helped develop a fresh and exciting sound within a genre that often struggles to break free of the usual handful of names. Hooded Menace continue to firmly establish themselves, at least in my mind, as the best of this generation’s doom/death bands mixing brutality,  melody, musicianship and great songwriting to create wonderful music. Long may they continue.