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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brutal beyond belief, May 7, 2008
In the three years that have passed since Hate Eternal dropped their junior effort, "I, Monarch," frontman Erik Rutan has recruited an entirely new lineup for his Florida-based quartet (the bassist and drummer positions were both replaced, and a second guitarist has also been tapped for the first time). Plus, Rutan also lost a close friend and former bandmate in Jared Anderson, who died in his sleep of an unspecified cause in October, 2006. As a result of these two things, Hate Eternal's music has also changed dramatically. Thus, if you thought they would continue on the experimental path that they started down on that 2005 release, then you will be completely blown away by the new record. (But don't feel too bad; it was a total surprise for me, too.)
This year's aptly titled "Fury and Flames" abides by one simple, all-encompassing policy: unbelievably brutal, merciless, and smoldering death metal devastation that's usually played at breakneck, grindcore-worthy speeds. The songs don't stray from the same formula very much, so instead of ever losing their focus, they choose to just keep bludgeoning and suffocating you, even long after you are convinced brain damage has occurred. Lyrically, Rutan tackles all of his usual subjects, including religion and war, but he was also inspired by Anderson's passing, so he channeled a lot of his emotions from that (i.e. grief, frustration, and anger) into his band's music. And it shows - this new material overflows with an inescapable, palpable feeling of raw desperation and urgency.
That's not to say that the album gets by just on volume, though. Yes, it is an immensely intense freaking monster, but there's a lot more to it than that. The guitar riffing is as excellent, blistering, and precise as usual, and the addition of former Ripping Corpse guitarist Shaune Kelley really helps to beef up Hate Eternal's sound and make it even more awesome (who'da thunk that was possible?!). Elsewhere, the newfound skinsman, Jade Simonetto, may still be relatively unknown, but he has already proven himself to be quite amazing, and able to blast with the best of them. Finally, bassist Alex Webster (of Cannibal Corpse fame) is a true virtuoso of his instrument; he lays down some of the best and most technical and interesting bass lines in the history of death metal! All these things considered, it should now be clear that "FaF" is a very epic, meticulous, intricate, and well-written album with plenty of nooks and crannies, and one that will likely require more than one listen to absorb fully.
Ten songs are represented here, and many of them are vicious, skull-shattering, throat-ripping onslaughts. The set opener, "Hell Envenom," is but one such example. Here, Rutan's evil, full-bodied growls are laid over a deluge of massive riffage, and thunderous, hyper-kinetic blast beats. The only time the song opens up and allows for a little breathing room is near the end, when a nicely clean guitar solo is tucked in amid the rapid-fire chaos. But as you work your way through the rest of the album, a more nuanced side of it becomes apparent. "Whom Gods May Destroy" is a frantic, disorienting freak-out that sounds like everybody in the band is soloing at the same time; and despite being packed with a ton of mind-numbing heaviness, "Bringer of Storms" is a concertedly more groove-oriented track, and features a wealth of tasty guitar crunch and strong, humming bass lines. Elsewhere, "Fury Within" is kind of a "math-y" tune, and is highlighted by weird (yet somehow still catchy), stop-start chords and airtight blasting; and "Tombeau (Le Tombeau de la Fureur et des Flammes)" which is dedicated to Jared Anderson, boasts an epic, lengthy, winding melodic solo section and more noteworthy bass work. Hate Eternal conclude "Fury and Flames" with its sole experimental number, "Coronach," an ominously peaceful piece with guest vocals from Katy Decker, but not before dropping a handful of other furiously crushing, earth-scorching speedsters (i.e. "Funerary March" and "Thus Salvation") that rip from start to finish and will make the listener struggle to retain consciousness.
In all fairness, it would be a bit of a stretch to say "Fury and Flames" breaks much new ground. Plus, some of the tracks blend together, even after giving them repeat listens. With that said, you'll be hard pressed to name any other brutal technical death metal album that's stronger than this one (and if you can think of one, I would be dying to know what it is!). Hence, nothing should prevent anyone who has a serious taste or craving for the genre from making "Fury and Flames" an absolute must hear. It is a fairly unique, instinctively satisfying, eminently memorable, and all-around top-notch slab of extremity. And, as of this typing, this is the one to beat in order to be crowned the best metal release of 2008.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great followup album to I, Monarch., September 19, 2008
Hate Eternal provide yet another dose of unforgiving, head-crushing blastbeats and technically heavy riffs that is usually delivered at breakneck speed. While nothing groundbreaking occurs on Fury & Flames it still manages to blast the listener into utter oblivion pushing death metal to it's limits, the songs on this album are well executed and despite the fact that some songs sound similar it still shows that Hate Eternal are one of the best death metal/grindcore groups out there. Just like in their previous album I, Monarch, Hate Eternal have showed a bit of diversity and craftsmanship even though it does take a bit of time to get use to it. There are songs like Para Bellum and Bringer of storms which changes tempo halfway through that showcase the great technical sound and terrific riffs courtesy of Eric Rutan who previously played in bands like Ripping Corpse and Morbid Angel, other songs like the slow instrumental Coronach was brilliant as well as the great and memorable Thus Salvation and opening track Hell Envenom with its constant growling by vocalist and guitar player Shaune Kelly. The production wasn't really that bad it just seems like the bass was a bit too low but that problem is typical from Hate Eternal who had the same problem on their previous albums, anyway if you're a Hate Eternal fan then you should definitely get this.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The torch has been passed from Morbid to Hate Eternal, April 16, 2008
Rutan is now the man. I never thought the mighty Morbid Angel could be passed as the greatest Death Metal band on the planet....but Rutan has done it with this Hate Eternal release. The production courtesy of the man himself along with the songwriting is going to be near impossible to outdue, unless it's future Hate Eternal CD's.....My hats off to the man, and the torch has now been officially passed and the bar raised.
On the brutal 'tone' scale, also check the new Skinlab SkinnedAlive live CD....I have never heard such brutal live guitar tones, that thing is incredible....highly recomended!
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