Hate Eternal – Upon Desolate Sands


Oh look, Hate Eternal has a new album on the way. Sweet, let’s see how long it takes before I run out of adjectives to describe brutal Death Metal. On Upon Desolate Sands (Season of Mist) I think I made it to ‘Portal of Myriad’ only to realize I was running on fumes. I’m not sure what kind of pact Erik Rutan struck up with Cthulu, but it’s given him access to enough pulverizing song ideas to power seven long-players and produce countless Death Metal standouts.

While speaking of otherworldly abilities, I have to imagine that drummer Hannes Grossman’s feet must be insured due to the ravaging double kick work on display in Upon Desolate Sands. Famous for his work in other bands you may have heard of like Obscura and Necrophagist, Grossman makes sure even “subdued” and midtempo numbers like ‘For Whom We Have Lost’ and ‘Nothingness of Being’ are completely paved over with machine precise kick drums. This may sound farfetched but after listening to the drums on the aptly titled ‘The Violent Fury’ I think we may have to start screening musicians for performance enhancing drugs.

And not just Grossman either, let’s investigate Rutan too. After the aforementioned ‘The Violent Fury’ and ‘Dark Age of Ruin’ I also need to know how Rutan has passage to the same alternate dimension in which he and GorgutsLuc Lemay gather such ferocious and warped guitar sounds. The metal community deserves the truth and we’re always down for more mind flaying music.

The best way to summarize Upon Desolate Sands is as the album for the forum dweller who’s always complaining about lack of extremity or how Death Metal will never be like it was 1991. So, metal isn’t heavy or brutal enough for you? Spin this shit through your car speakers and convince me it isn’t raining anchors. I dare you.

7.5/10

HANS LOPEZ