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Album Reviews : Hate Eternal – Upon Desolate Sands

By on October 3, 2018

Florida death metal overlords Hate Eternal have returned with yet another release to their already stellar discography. The mind of Erik Rutan never stops churning out relentless extreme music and has crafted a career as a top-notch musician from his early days in Ripping Corpse to his stint with Morbid Angel and onto the forming of Hate Eternal. But also what needs to be mentioned is his time behind the mixing desk where he has produced albums for bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Nile, Vital Remains and Krisiun among countless others.

Upon Desolate Sands kicks off in typical fashion with a relentless assault to the senses. The first track “The Violent Fury” takes no prisoners and from the midway point adds a touch of sheer epic songwriting with the twin guitars creating something which could easily be found on the previous record Infernus. The drumming of the reputable Hannes Grossman adds an extra dimension to an already well-established death metal band. This carries onto the second track on the album “What Lies Beyond” which shows more and more how good the composition is with this band and some absolutely tasty guitar leads towards the back end.

The next few tracks on the record contain some of the most tasteful lead guitar playing I think I have heard throughout Hate Eternal’s history to the point where it could easily fit in such heavyweights as Immolation or Morbid Angel. Not always super technical, but just precise note selection which can sometimes be lost in death metal of today. “Portal of Myriad” is arguably the strongest track on the record on the album in my humble opinion and will for sure be a favourite when the band goes onto the touring cycle for the record. Featuring various moments which give the listener a chance to become engulfed in a frenzied sea of heavy riffing, but also to sit back and admire slower sections of songwriting.

This marks the seventh full-length release by Hate Eternal and shows no signs of slowing down. Classic riffing, tasteful lead guitar work and one of the most revered drummers in extreme music all add to the suggestion this band is still near the front of the extreme music. Make sure to grab a copy when the album is released on October 26th through Season of Mist.

Band: Hate Eternal
Album: Upon Desolate Sands
Year: 2018
Genre: Death Metal
Label: Season Of Mist
Origin: United States of America
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