Atmospheric, Catchy, Diversified, Mellow and Melodic Gothic Metal - A Review of Voodoma's Hellbound

Four and a half years after its decent predecessor Gotland, German melodic gothic metal quartet Voodoma is back with its eight studio record Hellbound that offers ten songs with a total running time of thirty-eight minutes.

If compared to the predecessor, the songwriting here is much more concise and quite catchy. ''Save Me'' for instance clocks in at only three minutes but offers atmospheric melodies and sing-along vocals that find the perfect balance between energy and harmony. 

The band also convinces in its longer tracks such as excellent closer ''Sandman'' that has some extended instrumental passages that take listeners on an adventurous ride. The instrumental work based upon bass, drums and guitar isn't flashy at all but rather cohesive in transmitting epic, gloomy and mysterious soundscapes.

There are only a few minor issues to be pointed out. The production is quite thin and especially the guitar work would benefit from some additional oomph. Several tracks feature female backing vocals in an attempt to add diversity but they sound exchangeable and lacklustre. The idea itself remains promising but perhaps the band should choose a more talented vocalist next time around.

At the end of the day, Voodoma's Hellbound is a great output for fans of melodic gothic metal. The band is popular in Germany's gothic scene, having performed at festivals such as Castle Rock before the pandemic. Many gothics prefer a more atmospheric and melodic type of metal and they will be served very well with this output. Traditional metal fans might however find this output too mellow as it barely qualifies as metal music. My advice would be to check out the aforementioned songs to figure out where you stand regarding this issue before purchasing this record.

Final Rating: 80%