Artist: Hate Eternal
Label: Earache Records
Release Date: 6/28/05
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Title: I, Monarch Artist: Hate Eternal Label: Earache Records Release Date: 6/28/05 |
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Abyss's Review:
Hate Eternal is a band that has fallen completely off of my radar screen since their last album. This is largely because they're a well-established act that employs a well-established sound, but they always fail to excite me. My previous reviews of this band highlighted my frustration with them, namely that they're a band I enjoy listening to, but they are always forgotten once the stop button is pressed.
"One word review: Okay." If anything, Erik Rutan's new opus is slightly less engaging than King Of Kings. It remains a brutal example of blastbeats and thick riffs, but never really gets my heart pumping, my head bobbing, or my fists shaking. Let's face it, pretty much any brutal metal will be able to hold my cursory attention, but for me to really embrace it, it's got to make me want to break things. I, Monarch might contribute to violence if mixed with alcohol, drugs or anger, but it seems unable to inspire any carnage in and of itself. Credit should be given to the band for an attempt at experimenting with a broader sound than the brutally fast riffs and beats that they're known for, but even these departures have been done to death by other bands. As a result Hate Eternal remain a talented band that ultimately ends up forgotten by all but the most devoted of brutal freaks.
So again I remain a bit perplexed by this band. I can't really say all that much that's bad about it, but at the same time I've heard it over and over and nothing really stands out either. The simple fact is that bands like Nile continue to bring this sound to different heights, whereas this band really hasn't had much to offer besides what Morbid Angel has already done. And while I feel like this record is more listenable than Heretic was, it isn't as interesting. One word review: Okay.
Death's Review:
After building some momentum with a video from the last album that featured a comical homeless guy running around the woods in a funny robe - a video that just happened to be one of the first videos to receive heavy rotation on the new version of Headbanger's Ball - the King of all Kings return with their third album, once again on Earache Records, this time entitled I, Monarch. The Paul Romano album cover reminds me of a cross between a Cannibal Corpse cover and a Jagermeister label, but the music inside is undeniably Hate Eternal. The speed and the ultra-fast blasting death metal are still fine examples of the Hate Eternal way, and while there is some additional "maturation" present in the production (by Hate Eternal frontman Erik Rutan himself) and the songwriting, the brutal, unrelenting ass-kicking is still the only thing you'll remember by the time this record is done with you. And trust me, you'll need a cigarette.
"Trust me, you'll need a cigarette." That said, this type of hyper-blasting speed death has an obvious, limited capacity. In short bursts and small doses, a mainline of this stuff will jack you up and set you off like nothing else can. But anything beyond those controlled dosages results in unwanted side effects such as monotony and a certain pedestrian predictability that envelops the chaos. All in all, Hate Eternal are indeed one of the leaders of the uber-extreme, super-fast death metal set. Their current headlining tour of the U.S. with Krisiun and others is proof of that. But, like I said, the ears can only take so much punishment, and so I expect to be listening to this only once in a while.
Hel's Review:
There’s one thing that I truly love about this album. During certain parts, like the chorus of “Behold Judas,” if you close your eyes, you can absolutely picture the band playing. Now that’s fun. Ok, so maybe I’ve seen the band a few too many times, to be able to picture it so clearly, but still, Hate Eternal has always been a band I appreciated more in the live setting. So to say that this recording has the power to evoke that experience is a pretty solid compliment. Or so I believe.
"The songs are brutally technical and interesting." I have found myself disappointed with Hate Eternal albums in the past. I was quite pleasantly surprised to realize that, although the recording is not mixed in precisely the manner I would have preferred, the production has an artfulness to it that makes it very engaging. The songs are brutally technical and interesting. Just the kind of thing I always enjoy. And enjoy it I have. I’m saddened to realize that I will be out of town when Hate Eternal comes through L.A. in a couple of weeks. I was really looking forward to that. So when they hit your town, do me a favor and go.
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