''Hell'' is the fourth studio album by

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

project

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

. It was released on August 11, 2017, as a limited

cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in the ...

by the label Sentient Ruin Laboratories and as a digital download by Hell's own label, LowerYourHead. ''Hell'' received critical acclaim from the few publications that covered it. On April 22, 2018, Hell performed ''Hell'' in its entirety at

Roadburn Festival Roadburn Festival is an international music festival held in Tilburg, Netherlands every April since 1999. It was set up as a spin-off from the Roadburn music blog founded by Jurgen van den Brand and Walter Hoeijmakers. Originally focused on stone ...

. The songs "SubOdin" and "Inscriptus" first appeared on Hell's 2015 EP, also called ''Hell''.

Background and composition

After Hell's trilogy of self-titled albums concluded in 2012 with ''

Hell III ''Hell III'' is the third studio album by multi-instrumentalist M.S.W.'s Salem-based doom metal solo project Hell. Originally released on October 11, 2012, the album was available on cassette through Eternal Warfare, on vinyl through Pesanta, and ...

'', frontman M.S.W. considered discontinuing the project. About the change of heart, he said, "I was going to change the name of the project, thinking that a better name would suit the new sound more, but now I’m thinking I’ll keep the name and see how that goes." ''Hell'' is a

album and, as such, is driven by slow, downtuned guitar riffs. The reviewer Shakeel Cox-Henry noted that the vocal styles on the album are "very much alien" to traditional doom metal, describing them as abrasive, tortured and atonal.

Opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

tic singing is incorporated on the introductory track, "Seelenos", by Karli Mcnutt. Cox-Henry wrote that, in addition to the unusual vocals, the songs are structured unconventionally, lacking predictable progression and varying often in tempo. Another uncommon feature of ''Hell'' is its use of samples. The album's opening track, "Seelenos", contains quotes from the works of

Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massach ...

. The next track, "Helmzmen", has the

Mayday Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiza ...

call of a doomed ship that sank in the

Gulf of Alaska The Gulf of Alaska (Tlingit: ''Yéil T'ooch’'') is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, ...

. The song "Wandering Soul" contains a sample that the US military used in a psychological weapon project against the

Viet Cong , , war = the Vietnam War , image = FNL Flag.svg , caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green. , active ...

during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

Critical reception

''Hell'' received highly positive reviews. Writing for ''Metal Injection'', Cody Davis said, " 'Hell's''entirety results in what can only be described as one of the most enthralling albums to come out in 2017 and a strong album of the year candidate." Shakeel Cox-Henry of ''Midlands Metalheads'' wrote, "This album is strong, consistent, and most importantly, uses its resources to create an atmosphere of dereliction and suffering that only Hell could create." ''

Invisible Oranges ''Invisible Oranges'' is an American online music magazine dedicated to heavy metal news, band interviews and album reviews. It was founded by Cosmo Lee in September 2006 shortly after emigrating from San Francisco, California, United States t ...

'' said, "For an album so pummeling, there is a hint of sincerity hidden beneath its dense brawn." ''Hell'' appeared as number 14 on ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

's'' 2017 year-end best metal albums list; Ian Chainey in that publication called the album's execution "top-notch" and repeatedly praised its riffs.

Accolade

Track listing

All songs written by M.S.W.

Personnel

Hell * M.S.W. – guitar, bass guitar, drums, vocals, programming Additional musicians * A.L.N. (Liam Neighbors) – guest vocals * T.A.S. – guest vocals * Gina Eygenhuysen – violin on "Victus" * Karli Mcnutt – operatic vocals on "Seelenos" Technical personnel * Blial Cabal – artwork * Edgar McCray – mastering

References

{{Authority control 2017 albums Hell (American band) albums