Read the review here:

http://www.doom-metal.com/reviews.php?album=3311.

For some reason, I haven't been able to get into Hela. It's strange, because I'm actually really into this current surge of female-fronted clean sung stoner/doom, and with the clean and dreamy sound of the music, I would expect to enjoy it.

Guess I'll stick to Windhand and their plethora of worship bands.

Agree... it's a good album, but doesn't grab me... can't put my finger on it...

I like Hela. It is true they're not original, but they can write interesting songs and give them substance. They still need to find their personality, something Messa are more effectively working on.

One thing I will say is I LOVED Hela's cover of MDB's For my Fallen Angel. I'd love it if they went for a more melodic doom style like they did on that particular track, without the rocky singing and stonery sounding elements.

As for Messa, they are one of my favorite bands of the decade by far. Their album this year is probably the best female-fronted trad doom I've heard in quite a while.

Honestly, I think Hela are more concerned about carrying the doom flame than Messa. Particularly on their new album, Messa sound less and less metal, and even less doom...

Then what would you call them? It sounds like trad doom with some mild jazz and drone influences to me. Still very much doom.

They are doom to me...

yeah, doomy, like all the bands listed in the "bleak chicks" thread...

ok, ok...

whaaaaa? Nah, they aren't the same as like Chelsea Wolfe or Darkher. I would even go as far as to say they fit into the Circle of True Doom, like Witch Mountain or Mourn.