Release Date: February 19th, 2008
Hate Eternal have once again proven that they are the King of all Kings. After facing several dilemmas last year including the departure of drummer Derek Roddy, the possibility of canceling a tour, and the passing of fellow friend and ex-band mate Jared Anderson, guitarist/vocalist Erik Rutan has returned with a new line up, a new label and a new album, entitled Fury & Flames. This album clocks in at 40 minutes even and it never stops.
Musically, the album is vicious, brutal and relentless. Rutan is a master of dissonant and twisted melodies yielding them in both somber and dark atmospheres. Lyrically, as he has before, he writes in a more aggressive and hate-filled mindset, picking topics in philosophy, religion, and war. Rutan sounds like an absolute monster on this album, very much sounding inhuman.
The addition of Shaune Kelley makes them sound twice as loud and provides great tandem soloing. The solos throughout the album fit perfectly whether it is Slayer-like shredding or sinister sounding melodic lines. Alex Webster, as always, lays down some of the best bass lines in death metal and if listened to carefully, can be picked up in various parts of songs. The drumming on the album, now provided by Jade Simonetto, is nothing short of recognition. He has incredible double bass and hands and deserves to be part of the lineage of drummers that have played with Hate Eternal which includes Tim Yeung, Derek Roddy, Kevin Talley, and Reno Kiilerich, too name a few.
The album opens up with a track called “Hell Envenom” which takes me back to their King Of All Kings album. The song begins with Rutan screaming with a heavy echo effect at which the band enters with a wall of cacophony, a creating a ominous and eerie vibe. The band then stops for Erik to roar “Hell Envenom!” and the blasting begins. This is one of my favorite tracks off the album. Other tracks such as “Whom Gods May Destroy” and “The Funerary March” follow in that same style of just pure brutality.
Several tracks on the album have some surprising turns, one being a song called “Bringer of Storms.” Although the song does contain blasting, it still maintains a slow half-time feel. It is a fairly melodic song more geared towards generating a particular feel, rather than the more dissonant riffing in the aforementioned tracks. It does contain one of the heaviest moments on the album with Rutan screaming, “Hail!” over and over again.
One of the most surprising moments on the album is a track called “Fury Within”. It opens with a jarring riff with a heavy rhythm motif, but the drums are playing a more groove-oriented style, rather than blasting away. It even contains, for lack of a better term, a sort of breakdown-esque drum part near the end of the song. This song, although not necessarily groundbreaking, will definitely catch the ears of Hate Eternal fans.
Overall, this album is amazing. The production is excellent considering it is recorded on a two-inch analog machine that Rutan has had since his Morbid Angel days. Despite all the obstacles they faced at the end of 2007, Hate Eternal has found new strength and will continue its devastation in the death metal community.
Highlights
- Hell Envenom
- Para Bellum
- Bringer Of Storms
- Fury Within
- Tombeau (Le Tombeau De La Fureur et Des Flammes)
Overall: 4.5/5
