Reviews : Albums : Hate Eternal, "Fury and Flames"
Email the reviewerHate Eternal, "Fury and Flames"
If "I, Monarch" - Hate Eternal's last effort for Earache Records - was a massive slab of death metal, then "Fury and Flames" is a nine-story parking structure collapsing from the top down, each massive layer of concrete and iron slamming into the one beneath it, grinding and sliding to the earth in a maelstrom of dust and debris.
Pay no mind to Rutan's comments about "Fury and Flames" being a more "emotional" album. The band's modus operandi – dissonant, neck-snapping riffs over incessant drum beats – is 100% intact; it's the same swarm of hornets their first three albums were. That said, "Fury and Flames" does feel a bit more diverse than its siblings. The furious march that anchors "Bringer of Storms," the swirling arpeggios in the middle of "Tombeau (Le Tombeau de La Fureur et des Flammes)," the surprisingly melodic and harmonized guitar solos that pop up throughout the album, and an inventive rhythm section are all fresh additions to Hate Eternal's musical arsenal. The style is still undeniably Hate Eternal, but it sounds better.
Rutan bore this beast after a couple of very dark years for the band which reached their lowest ebb when Jared Anderson passed away unexpectedly in October 2006. Rather than give up, though, Erik deputized Shaune Kelley, his childhood friend and guitar partner from his Ripping Corpse days to help out on guitar and in a masterstroke of band management recruited Cannibal Corpse main man and monster bassist Alex Webster to hold down the bottom end. The drum throne - still spinning from Derek Roddy's hasty departure - was soon filled by unknown wunderkind Jade Simonetto. Not sure where Rutan found this guy, but he better hold on to him because Simonetto brings a lot more to the table than speed and blast. Combining Simonetto's talents with Alex's world-class bass tone and unmatched musicianship, Hate Eternal's new rhythm section is a force to be reckoned with.
Perhaps the most surprising triumph for Erik has been happening not on stage, but in his studio. The sound heard on Cannibal Corpse's "Kill" is staggering and when listening to "Fury and Flames" it literally feels like something's pushing in on your skull. Whatever the Mana Studios crew is doing down in Florida is paying off in spades.
Will "Fury and Flames" prove to be the death metal event of 2008? Hard to say this early, but it is without question Hate Eternal's best work and a daunting monolith in the landscape.
Standout Tracks Bringer of Storms |
