Haterush – Mark of the Warrior
Black Lotus Records – 2004
By Jason Jordan
Black Lotus Records houses a handful of bands that are truly exceptional, and said label houses a few groups that aren’t so exceptional.
Haterush is most assuredly one of the latter, and
Mark of the Warrior isn’t worth your time…or mine.
Mostly, the quartet whittle away at the offshoot known as Swedish power metal. All musical performances are on par with other purveyors within the same genre. Embretsson’s vocals, however, are rather unmotivated; or it seems as if he’s holding back his fair share of abilities. The requisite elements are all here: epic intro, lame attempt at being grandiose, etcetera. With lyrics like,
I am just another hero / striving to get through, you probably know what you’re in store for. Those lyrics can be found on “Dying to Surrender.” It’s not all bad, though. There are some outstanding riffs, even if the aforementioned are few and far between. Furthermore, there’s an overwhelming sense of harmony that abounds within
Mark of the Warrior, but – somewhere along the line – the band made it underwhelming. Still, there’s nothing atypical here. I would’ve loved to have seen some differentiation and a conscience decision to shy away from clichés. But, with so many bands content to chase the formulaic leaders of the genre (the ones who actually forged the formulas), it’s no surprise that
Haterush don’t measure up to stalwart metallers.
Maybe I’m being too tough on the guys. After all, this is their debut album and it shows more promise than a lot of releases out there. In any case,
Mark of the Warrior left me feeling bitter and unfulfilled. Sympathy is too taxing.
5/10
Official Haterush website
Official Black Lotus Records website
