Hate Eternal - Fury & Flames
I’ve always loved Hate Eternal. Every album they’ve done gets progressively better, and this latest one is no exception. Although it’s never a good thing for someone to die, I think that the death of good friend and former bandmate, Jared Anderson, provided Erik a much needed, albeit grim, catalyst to follow up from I, Monarch.
This isn’t to say that it’s any darker or heavier than previous albums. It’s just a different dark; a different sadness. The blastbeats are solid and the solos are beautifully dramatic. The only problem is the production quality, which came out pretty muddy on most stereos I used to play the CD. The only time I could truly hear the guitars was on tower speakers with good mid and high ranges. Otherwise, with the exception of the solos, all I heard was a ton of bass drum, the vocals and the guitar strings being strummed. I had to take the bass down to hear anything. But if you liked the other albums, definitely pick this one up. In spite of the muddy production, it’s still a great album.
