Hate - Erebos [Review]
Released: November 15th, 2010Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Label: Listenable Records
Reviewer: Karim Tarek
It has been a while since I last came across an album that exquisite – an album that sticks into my head and forces me to compulsively listen to it over and over and over again for numerous consecutive days, but here comes the almighty Hate to blow me off with their magnum opus “Erebos”, which I think is their very best album among their whole big discography; I’ve been wired on it for several successive weeks, with chain listens. I just hit the “repeat” button and let myself be dragged and dive smoothly into the endless seas of vintage, first caliber Death Metal.
Hate is a “big” Polish Death Metal act that was founded in Warsaw in the year 1990 by their frontman Adam “The first sinner”. They’re always regarded between the fans as pertinent to Behemoth. I don’t know why exactly, but it might be because they both share the same country of origin and brutal music or because they have similar outfit styles. However, if you ask me about my personal favorite, I can confidently answer: “Hate”. That’s because of merely one reason; Behemoth, to me, are only “Demigod”; it’s one of the very best Death Metal records of all-time, and it’s definitely my cup of tea, but giving a heed to the other numerous albums they made, I find myself no joy in listening to any of them but their holiest spawn, the divine 40 minutes of sheer artistic brutality entitled “DemiF@%&!god”. While, on the other hand, of all Hate’s albums I enjoy “Erebos” the most, but still I also enjoy the rest of their discography almost as much.
In September, 2010 I heard that the mighty Hate are going to celebrate their 20th anniversary by releasing a new album. Quite frankly, I was expecting a “fairly good” album until I bumped into the album trailer on youtube, and here was one of my indescribable moments of the year; I had a whole lot of feelings mashed up into me: I was surprised by the high quality and the extraordinary geniality of the music, I was happy like a baby because this exactly was my cup of tea and I was very excited and stoked waiting for it to come out.
“Erebos” came way too much more than I expected, it was like you do good on an exam and anticipate high grades, then when the results come out, you find that you did outstandingly excellent and midst your festivities, you bump into Scarlett Johansson asking you for a place to stay!
“Erebos” conjures up the finest qualities and features of Death Metal; it came way more fast, technical and brutal than most of Hate’s previous albums. I can safely call “Erebos” Brutal Death Metal, and by Brutal Death Metal I mean Hour Of Penance, Hysteria, Kronos, Vile, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hate Eternal…etc. Just to give you a picture of my vision. That, in particular, is my top favorite type of Death Metal, the one that its basics were set up by Deicide, Morbid Angel and Vital Remains.
“Erebos” starts off with an acoustic instrumental intro that gives way to one of the fiercest tracks on the album “Lux Aeterna”, the one that I think putting it up as the first track after the intro was quite witty move from Hate, that’s simple because “Lux Aeterna”, in a way or another, sums up the whole album, or gives you a brief idea about how serious the stuff you’re attempting to listen to is; it has all what it takes to draw 100% of a genuine Brutal Death Metal maniac: solid as steel riffs, heaviness, aggression, melodiousness, technicality, speed, viciousness, fierce vocals, superb Death Metal composition, fine soloing, and moreover, my personal favorite, infernal blasting!
“Trinity Moons” as well was one hell of a track; it holds a really solid song structure and touching lyrics. It also features my favorite solo on the album, a fast, touching and very well-played one. If you read the lyrics while you’re listening to it, you’ll probably shed a couple of tears or convulse ecstatically from the eargasm when you listen carefully to the solo. It’s one of those tracks that you keep on replaying over and over again and never get enough of them. Especially the part starting from 4:20 till the end of it.
If you are a Death Metal die-hard fan, I strongly advise you not to play “Erebos” if you have something important to do, because chances are you’re going to replay every track a couple of times after it ends, and then you’re going to replay the whole album over and over again until you find it’s the late night and you have school on the next day… Errrm, yeah that's exactly what happened to me several times.
Anyways, “Erebos” is a great pleasant surprise that I’ve been enjoying for over a month now. It’s exactly the same kind of music I spend most of my day searching for it. The best way a modern Death Metal record could sound like. I hereby send my gratitude to the almighty Death Metal gods, Hate, for writing, recording and releasing a masterpiece that comprises everything that completely gratifies my musical needs.
Every winter I have my memories associated with some album, this winter I think it’s definitely Hate’s because I think all those moments when the album kept on blaring through my earphones while I’m strolling the streets with it raining heavily and putting off my cigarettes got inscribed into my head and won’t ever be forgotten.
Highlights: Lux Aeterna, Hero Cults, Trinity Moons, Luminous Horizon.
Great review Karim! Your writing and analysis are both absolutely second to none!
ReplyDeleteThanks a million, brother. That's greatly appreciated :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review
ReplyDeleteThanks, man :)
ReplyDelete