HATE ETERNAL Mainman: 'This Is Our Most Emotional Album to Date'

Metal Maniacs' Liz Ciavarella recently sat down with HATE ETERNAL mainman Erik Rutan to discuss the band's first album for Metal Blade Records, "Fury And Flames". Excerpts from the January 2008 cover story follow:

Metal Maniacs: How did bassist Jared Anderson's passing influence the writing and overall vibe of the record?

Erik Rutan: When Jared died I was totally devastated. I lost a bandmate and most of all, a friend. Even though Jared left a few years before he died, in my mind he was still a part of the band. I called Jared the ambassador of HATE ETERNAL. For a while I really questioned whether I would continue on with HATE ETERNAL. But one thing Jared always said when he left the band originally was that no matter what, I needed to continue with HATE ETERNAL and the dream and goals I had initially set forth. Jared always supported me in that way and I knew quitting wasn't an option. I could never let him down nor let down the fans and myself. I worked too hard to get to this point. I wrote probably 70 percent of the album after Jared passed so it really affected the musical direction of the record. I just let it all go; no restraints or limitations. That's why this is our deepest, most emotional album to date. There's so much of everything on this album. It is an angry, frenzied, chaotic, grief-ridden requiem.

Metal Maniacs: Is there significance in the title "Fury And Flames"?

Erik Rutan: I wanted a title that truly represented what this album is; something that describes death and the anguish associated with it. I wanted it to represent Jared as well. The moniker Jared used for stuff like email was "fury and flames" hence the title. It‘s in honor of Jared.

Metal Maniacs: How much pressure is there in following up a record like "I, Monarch" and "King Of All Kings" or for that matter, the pressure in not only being Erik Rutan of HATE ETERNAL but Erik Rutan the producer. Do you think there are greater expectations placed upon you by fans?

Erik Rutan: Totally. But I try to block that sort of thing out. It's hard… especially with this album being the first one on Metal Blade. It's like a new beginning. But with this album I just decided I was gonna write from the soul. I just wanted to write what came natural. Of course you still think about the label and past records and fan expectations. I definitely felt a lot of pressure but most of it was coming from myself; the perfectionist workaholic mentality of just wanting to really capture some magic and make it perfect from a production standpoint and the songwriting. It took a lot of years for me to realize this, but you can't please everyone. I can't sit around and think about it all the time. I'll lose my mind. As long as we write from the heart and everyone in the band worked to the best of their ability...

The January 2008 issue of Metal Maniacs is on sale now.