As times change so does the face of the music, a current talking point in the metal community being about whether technology has influenced the sound of Metal in the modern day. Being responsible for some of the best sounding Death Metal records in recent years, Erik Rutan is not only Death Metal royalty for his instrumental prowess but also for his genre defining production. A man of who goes under many guises at long last returns with some of the most abrasive Metal this year.
[tracklist]
1. Locust Swarm
2. The Stygian Deep
3. Pathogenic Apathy
4. La Tempestad
5. Infernus
6. The Chosen One
7. Zealot, Crusader Of War
8. Order Of The Arcane Scriptures
9.Chaos Theory
10. O’ Majestic Being, Hear My Call
[/tracklist]
[details]
[length]44:00[/length]
[record_label]Season Of Mist[/record_label]
[release_date]August 21st 2015[/release_date]
[/details]
Hate Eternal, a name that the initiated in Death Metal will no doubt have heard of before. With it being a significant amount of time since we last heard from Hate Eternal the band have been honing their sound. Often in the past finding it problematic and arduous to follow an entire album it has personally been rendered much of the material to blur into one. Opener “Locust Swarm” ensures that people will understand this may be familiar ground that the band tread yet there is a sense of evolution within the songs. Malicious riffs begin as a fast paced battle but slowly melt to a snails crawl as the song enters its final stages, ending on an unresolved and unnerving note. “The Stygian Deep” follows a similar pattern slowing down the guitars showcasing the versatility that this band have come to adopt. Incorporating leering lead patterns that slowly force the listener into a corner. Crucial in eluding that all too easy pitfall of songs collapsing into each other.
However “La Tempestad” brings us back to the days of I, Monarch where the band revealed in a maelstrom of dissonance. Though not quite in the same kind league as Gorguts, Infernus is not an easy listen. The claustrophobic oppressive sense is given to us from the combination of malevolent melodies. Title track itself is one of the finer points in the album, with a simple riff building until the anvil drops as our bulldozer sound is introduced. Though it’s small dynamics like the slight off center leads that lend more of a texture than the normal nameless battering. Using an organic sound in their ready arsenal simply floors the listener, “Zealot, Crusader Of War” another example of the band using this to brilliant effect. Creating an imposing aura yet layering the sound with small segments of leads. All the while making sure that production is crystal clear.
Infernus stands as a testament to the sheer power of new drummer Chason Westmoreland, delivering incredibly technical drums on the record. Utilising classic Death Metal techniques yet adding colour to the incredibly downcast outlook, making for a particularly apocalyptic listen. Nevertheless the dissonant groove of “Chaos Theory” gives temporary breathing space from the onslaught as an instrumental. Leading into the closer of “O’ Majestic Being, Hear My Call” which would work as a conjuring for Satan himself. Not to mention that the artwork perfectly encapsulates the record, neatly package in the majestic sense of renaissance like civility Of Eliran Kantor.
A rapture inducing listen the record very much visits some of Death Metal’s proudest moments. Early in its fruition, when bands were performing in the hey day of the nineties. Owing in part to Rutan’s unmistakable style along with his notorious perfectionist agenda the record will go down as one of the band’s greats. Delivering a traditional sound with a slightly more modern and most importantly decipherable spin, Infernus is a bleak, destructive, dissolute look at music.
[verdict]Yes[/verdict]
[why]Hate Eternal once again deliver a destructive example of how classic Death Metal should sound, whilst also broadening their horizons and making a difficult sound accessible through clever song writing. [/why]
If you like what you read / heard then you can pick up Hate Eternal’s brand new album here!
