It’s been quite a while since I locked horns with Hatesphere. Once one of my favourite bands, the high point for me was their 2005 album “The Sickness Within”. This latest album, which is their 11th full release, actually has a live version of “The Fallen Shall Rise in a River of Blood”, which was on that album and a staple at live performances, as a bonus track. The line-up has changed significantly, with only one member left from the 2005 line-up but I did note that in 2009 the band acquired Mike Park Neilson, formerly of Mercenary, a master craftsman and top chap, along the way. There is plenty of experience in the band, with three of the members being in the line-up for at least 10 years. Even so it’s been such a long time that I didn’t really know what to expect but my hopes were for more of the groove-laden thrashy melodies which is what attracted me to them in the first place.
The appetiser is a soothing acoustic number called “The Awakening”. Drums roll and to my delight a heavy groove is laid. Cue a technical thrash-death blast. It’s strange to be listening to this because it’s like a return to the 00s as if nothing had happened since. Brutal and aggressive, the instrumental work of “Hatred Reborn” is both sophisticated in its layout and insistent. More aggressive groove marks “Cutthroat”. The chorus and inserts give it a metalcore edge. The vocalist, who is new to the band, upholds the tradition of shouting at us but apart from the groove which Mr Park and the rhythm guitarist lead with aplomb, the other guitarist makes patterns without resorting to the “look at me and how clever I am” look. This is exciting and mobile. “Gravedigger” maintains the hard and heavy attack. It’s always a good sign when the band’s anger makes me angry. Meanwhile I am sailing away to the pulsating instrumental work. Hatesphere are clever enough to switch the tempo and depth which they do momentarily before a final blast. The persistent firepower is again at the maximum level on “918”. The chunking thrash rhythm is a cure for immobility. The song moves and grooves. “918” is yet another ball of aggressive energy. Towards the end there is a transformation into a darker sphere – this is a nice touch and inputs a bit of atmosphere on top of all the in-your-face aggression.
By contrast “Darkspawn” is in-your-face thrashy aggression with less of the subtle leverage. The style is uniform but it’s a plus point that each song is standalone, which isn’t always the case with some bands whose albums seem to follow the same pattern. The band’s experience and creativity shine through here on this album, although I found that while “Darkspawn” had the motion and the energy, it was at the less creative end. The melodic juggernaut returns with “The Truest Form of Pain” before “Brand of Sacrifice” comes in at the leaden-heavy, rock-breaking end of the scale but with guitar twists, and an organic Mercenary like chant. I liked the dark menace of this “Brand of Sacrifice”, which was a most interesting song with lots of twists and turns. A short dark guitar and drum instrumental then precedes the thrashing technical energy of “Spitting Teeth”. Here is the thumping rhythm, the tempo changes and the ever-present adrenaline rush. That’s the end of the album but with the digipack version come a thrashing Hatesphere-esque version of the Scorpions’s “Another Piece of Meat” and the aforementioned “The Fallen Shall Rise in a River of Blood”. Chunking groove meets thrash with technical guitar work thrown in. This is Hatesphere.
Welcome back in my life, Hatesphere. It’s like old times have returned. “Hatred Reborn” is an album of aggression and energy, but with lots of technical twists and groove lines. Just as I remembered it.
(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
Leave a Reply