HATE ETERNAL

Fury & Flames

Metal Blade
rating icon 8.5 / 10

Track listing:

01. Hell Envenom
02. Whom Gods May Destroy
03. Para Bellum
04. Bringer of Storms
05. Funerary March
06. Thus Salvation
07. Proclamation of the Damned
08. Fury Within
09. Tombeau (Le Tombeau de La Fureur et des Flammes)
10. Coronach (Outro)


If you were like me, wondering where HATE ETERNAL would go after its musically diverse album in "I, Monarch" (the last for Earache) and basically assumed that the fourth effort, "Fury & Flames" (the first for Metal Blade) would continue in that direction, then you'd be dead wrong. The path followed on the new album is one of pure speed and unrelenting punishment, almost like "King of All Kings" on steroids. Can you even begin to imagine that? Yet once you regain consciousness from the initial spin or two and listen closely, you'll realize that there is some terrific guitar work going on from Rutan and new/old guy and lead/rhythm guitarist Shaune Kelley (ex-RIPPING CORPSE); oddly melodic (in a vague sense) and twisted as hell. Coupled with the freight train rhythm section of Jade Simonetto and bass master Alex Webster (CANNIBAL CORPSE, BLOTTED SCIENCE),"Fury & Flames" is another death metal juggernaut from Metal Blade (along with the new BRAIN DRILL) that is sure to be considered one of the year's best when it is all said and done.

So we've established that the experimentation heard on the damn solid "I, Monarch" has largely been left behind, save for a brief outro called "Coronach" (with guest vocals from Katy Decker). However, this is no way means that Rutan does not continue to push the envelope. Just listen to the bizarre, yet strangely infectious chords, of "Fury Within" and the winding solo during the last section of "Tombeau (Le Tombeau De La Fureur Et Des Flammes)", a perfect complement to the riffing beneath it. The latter tune is dedicated to late bassist/vocalist Jared Anderson (HATE ETERNAL, INTERNECINE) whose spirit can be felt in every nook and cranny of this disc. Anderson (pictured in the booklet with a dedication from Rutan) would be so proud of this effort. While you'll find that most of these songs have a certain depth to them that cannot be fully appreciated until you've listened a few times, "Bringer of Storms" does hit with more immediacy; it's got the kind of HATE ETERNAL classic feel that was heard on "Powers that Be".

I could go on and on about Webster's immense bass prowess (damn, it sounds fantastic),Simonetto's nerve fraying drumming, or Rutan and Kelley's intricate playing and always distinctive leads. Instead, grab a pair of headphones, spend some time with this one, and hear it for yourself. It will in fact blow your mind and leave you limp. Incredibly fucking heavy.

Author:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).