''Hell III'' is the third studio album by

multi-instrumentalist A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays two or more musical instruments at a professional level of proficiency. Also known as doubling, the practice allows greater ensemble flexibility and more efficient employment of musicians, where ...

M.S.W.'s

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

-based

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'' ...

solo 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 ...

. Originally released on October 11, 2012, the album was available on cassette through Eternal Warfare, on vinyl through Pesanta, and digitally through M.S.W.'s own label, LowerYourHead. ''Hell III'' was performed in its entirety on the project's 2016 tour.

Background and composition

Hell, a one-man project, concluded a trilogy of albums with ''Hell III''. While the series began as pure

, ''Hell II'' and, to a greater degree, ''Hell III'' incorporate

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...

and

funeral doom 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'' ...

aspects into the music. Included with the moments of weight, aggression, extremely distorted guitar, and rasped vocals are periods of somber melancholy. The album comprises two songs, "Mourn" and "Decedere", both of which near twenty minutes in length.

"Mourn"

''Hell III's'' first half, "Mourn", begins with a slow, clean guitar segment that lasts for five minutes. Ben Hudgins of ''

Heathen Harvest Heathen Harvest was an Internet blog devoted to music criticism, music news, and interviews. It focused on underground and post-industrial music, including ambient, heavy metal, gothic, and industrial music. The site, which was established in ...

'' wrote about this passage, "there’s a lengthy ambient guitar introduction that sulks on the borders of the apocalyptic domain of black metal before plunging over the edge into the tar-choked realms of sludge." Following that, the song quickly transitions into the downtuned guitar and driving percussion signature to doom metal. Unlike many singers in similar bands, M.S.W.'s vocals are delivered as high-pitched rasps. At the halfway point of "Mourn", the song slows and descends into a heavy passage that gradually decays and fades.

"Decedere"

The album's second half, "Decedere", took four years to complete. It follows a similar structure as "Mourn", beginning with "solemn and ambient guitar melodies" and later launching into protracted periods of heightened aggression before returning to quiet softness at the conclusion. Operatic vocals provided by Leah Estep appear alongside M.S.W.'s screams and rasps. About performing "Decedere" live, M.S.W. said:

Critical reception

''Hell III'' was met with positive reception. In a review of ''Trilogy'', a box set concluding with ''Hell III'', Cody Davis of ''Metal Injection'' wrote, "It is a demented and diabolical listening experience worth turning out all of the lights and succumbing to the trepidation for an hour or so." Benjamin Bland of ''Echoes and Dust'' called ''Hell III'' "quite the journey," saying in his review, "The emotional power of this album is fairly devastating if you’re in a bleak frame of mind and the willingness of M.S.W. to draw in influences from inside and outside the drone and metal spheres to enhance his atmospheric vision is perhaps what makes this a rare essential listen." Writing for ''

'', Ben Hudgins said that ''Hell III'' cements the trilogy as unpredictable and full of surprises.

Track listing

All songs written by M.S.W..

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. Hell * M.S.W. – guitar, bass, drums, vocals, programming Additional musicians * Holly Williams – flute * Marit Schmidt – viola * Leah Estep – operatic vocals Technical personnel * Absorb – logo * Dan Randall – mastering

References

{{Authority control 2012 albums Hell (American band) albums