“Hod is not an acronym. It is not H.O.D. It is Hod. Can we all get it straight now? Hod is creating what the world needs and fears the most; REAL FUCKING METAL!!!”
So says Hod’s Facebook bio page, and as we at New Times would find out, there is some meaning to the name. But in the end, it is just a three-letter word for a band out of San Antonio, Texas, that rages and thrashes with the best of them.
We had a chance to speak with guitarist Carl “Lord Necron” Snyder ahead of the group's South Florida debut, co-headlining with Kult ov Azazel, to discuss music in the Lone Star State, the Book of the Worm album, and "real fucking metal."
New Times: Let’s open with the state of metal in San Antonio and Texas at large. I can only think of the short-lived S.A. Slayer from the ‘80s. But I’m admittedly better associated with punk bands like the Butthole Surfers and Fearless Iranians from Hell.
Lord Necron: San Antonio used to be such a great heavy metal city. Ask Nasty Savage. Bands would love to come through this town. Metal ruled supreme. We never really had a band break out on a national level. But Necrovore influenced the extreme metal underground with their one demo many years ago. Present-day bands worth checking out from our town are Aggravator, Burial Shroud, Las Cruces, and the punk band The Cutthroats.
How much of a Tejano influence carries over into San Antonio’s metal?
I hope not. Sorry, but some things should never mix.
You guys derive your name from a Norse god. How much does Norse mythology influence your work? Or does it end at the name?
It really ends at the name. We are not a Viking band at all. Would have to be from Scandinavia to pull that off. We just liked that he was the deity for darkness and winter. It worked for us.
It’s my understanding that you and Xaphan from Kult ov Azazel both had stints in Krieg, is that right? Do you know each other from that or no?
I actually first got in contact with Xaphan when I wrote him about trading for the Azazel demo back in the day. I played in Thornspawn at the time. USBM, at the time, was a very small scene, but very exciting. Bands were making contact and spreading the music through tape trading or CD-R trading. And yes, I did play guitar for the first Krieg live show, I think. Some videos of it are floating around.
Could you give us a brief history of Hod since forming in 2007?
We put out our first album on Ibex Moon Records in 2009 called Serpent. Then did a U.S. tour with Monstrosity. Played many one-off shows. Recorded some songs for the Limb Splitter 2 comp in 2012. Then we were ready to put out the Book of the Worm album when the label folded. Shopped it around, but nothing solid never really happened. We saw that Julian was signing bands for Arctic Music, so we asked him if he was interested and he said yes. So here we are.
Could you give us a quick recap of the social-media controversy stemming from Nuclear Hellfrost’s alleged vandalizing of Dimebag Darrell’s grave and how you guys got thrown in that?
You ever do something on a whim? Then that silly thing you did becomes twisted into something months or years later? We were unjustly tossed into something we had nothing to do with. But everyone was enjoying the witch-hunt. Totally ridiculous situation. If people really want to see the specifics, go to our Facebook page. It's really a dead issue to us.
Book of the Worm is your second and latest full-length, and it marks five years since your debut, Serpent. I’m sensing a crawling motif here. But that aside, what can you tell us about both albums and your growth as a unit between releases?
Serpent was a group of guys coming together and making music. The baby steps of the band. Book has a more focused and veteran sound. The band knew where it was going with it this time; things are focused and better executed. That should be the logical next step of any band recording their next album. The machine improves its killing capacity.
What kind of support are you looking at for Book of the Worm?
Just people enjoying the metal. What more could we ask for?
Kult ov Azazel. With Hod, Druid Lord, Solstice, Gnosis, and Koroidia. 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at Churchill’s Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami. Admission costs $15. Ages 18 and up. Call 305-757-1807 or visit churchillspub.com.
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