“High yielding with attractive flowers, mild flavour and excellent texture”. That is the description of a potato from the National Allotment Society catalogue. If only “Unrelenting Fucking Hatred” were so interesting. “Fiery but bland and uninteresting” would be my entry for this piece of black metal. Ex Cryptopsy singer Lord Worm may well be expressing virulent loathing for all humanity but his croakings suggest that this is an ode to constipation. Man cannot live on vitriol alone, but the message does not seem to have got across to Rage Nucleaire. Sure, they’re angry, but Mother Teresa apart, who isn’t? “Violence is Golden”, “The Gallows and the Black Coffin”, “The Feeding Habits of Homo Horribilis”, yes, we’ve got the message. It’s a bit like a child who has discovered swearing and decides that it’s clever to develop the new discovery. It’s not the first time that a band has tried to outdo their own over-the-top extremity, of course. Nattefrost’s “Blood and Vomit” comes to mind. But the difference is plain. In that case furious black metal is surrounded by mental disturbance and humour. Here there is nothing. I don’t need a side-splitting experience, but there is a balance between this and taking oneself too seriously. The Norwegians manage to generate atmosphere and sub-plots in outwardly intense and hopeless black metal nihilism. Rage Nucleaire are not Norwegian.
So does “Unrelenting Fucking Hatred” have anything to offer other than clichés? Well, it’s certainly unrelenting and full of hatred. The images are easy enough to define. “Violence is Golden” is a clear incitement to war. I do like the sirens. The riff is out of the song sheets of Dark Funeral. More chaotic violence ensues on “Hunt with Murderworms. Sculpt with Flies”. That riff thunders through the wastelands at the back of this violence fest.
As I listened to “Unrelenting Fucking Hatred”, I concluded that Rage Nucleaire had done themselves a disservice with all the silly hype. They would have shocked us more with no clues and just let the music blow us away. I can’t say that this album entirely blew me away as it’s all very much at the same frenetic pace, and realised mid-way through that I was listening dispassionately. But there are some great moments and the all-out attack never relents, as we are reminded occasionally and needlessly by the sounds of war. The drumming is outstanding. Deep, dark and threatening, it’s not all blast beating. “Fields of the Crucified” goes through the motions a little, which is a criticism that I have overall, but those drums signal a sinister intent. I thought I heard Daleks entering the scene, such are Lord Worm’s vocal contortions. Track after track, I heard the same relentless rhythm, screams and darkness. Why bother to tell us what this is about. I wasn’t truly inspired but there is one track which was outstanding – the title track itself. “Unrelenting Fucking Hatred” steps up several notches. Rousing and uplifting in its nasty way, it has movement and power. It was the only track on the album where I thought someone had arrived to batter my door down. Lord Worm seems to have learned Klingon this time. I don’t suppose it was meant to be funny, but it was. “The Gallows and the Black Coffin”, which follows, starts with a military march. Fire and brimstone are in the air, as Rage Nucleaire stick to full throttle – I cannot criticise them on this front. Maintaining their sense of the bizarre, there’s the chaotic sound of dying horses, people and everything else. A short track “The Feeding Habits of Homo Horribilis” ends the album. With the sense of war always present, swamps, church bells, violence and exquisite drumming, it’s a good end.
My reaction to this album is mixed. The first thing is that Rage Nucleaire should concentrate on music, not ridiculous imagery. The riffs, drumming, intensity and sense of the unusual are a good base to work from. There were some outstanding sections on this album but black metal and indeed any music should get into the psyche, and at times I didn’t feel I was in the same room. At other times I did find myself deeply embroiled in the turmoil and battle. Unlike that potato I described earlier, the texture of “Unrelenting Fucking Hatred” was not consistent.
(5 / 10 Andrew Doherty)
Leave a Reply