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Hate Eternal- King Of All Kings
Hate Eternal- King Of All Kings
Earache MOSH260CD 16th September 2002
By Russell Garwood
Hate Eternal’s latest album, “King Of All Kings”, is set for release on the 16th September 2002. Members of this certified supergroup have played important roles in, among others, Morbid Angel, Nile, Ripping Corpse and Malevolent Creation. Lead vocals and all guitars are supplied by the legendary Erik Rutan , with Derek Roddy on drums and Jared Anderson on bass and backing vox. The three piece play – as you would expect – reasonably brutal death metal, but with the technicality needed to pull off such speedy music.
The drums are tight and more focused on double bass rolls than blasts, with sporadic frenetic fills, while the bass is just as proficiently performed. Rutan’s guitars are precise and grinding, frequent discords and wails adding to the feeling of unease created by the rest of the music. The vocals are less guttural than the norm for this type of death, but still complete the pummelling sound.
Standouts include short but extreme “The Obscure Terror”, the memorable guitar solos and time changes of “Servants Of The Gods”, and final track “Powers That Be” for the impressive drums and jumping guitar work.
The lyrics, however, are not only unoriginal, but poorly written. “I searched the texts for knowledge/Now I bleed the sacrifice/I am of purest power/Strengths of a thousand souls/I Hear the voices of/The oldest ones burning within” (“Beyond Redemption”) suggests the lyrics strive to fit into a stereotype rather than make sense. As you can’t actually distinguish the words, this is immaterial, and my only other complaint is the music can feel samey.
The band have a niche, and stick to it religiously – there is little variation, but as long as you like their style, this too is not a problem. Hate Eternal’s sound is in no way groundbreaking, but the three members are skilled players, and the music is competently written. If you’re looking for something new and original, avoid “King Of All Kings”, but if you are in need of well executed, powerful death metal, then this album may well be for you.
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