Self-Hatred – Theia (Review)

This is the debut album from Self-Hatred, a doom/death metal band from the Czech Republic.

Self-Hatred are, refreshingly, a little different to your standard doom/death band; this is a slightly more contemporary take on the style than most attempt, although it still recognises and is influenced by the founders of this particular sub-genre. I also like the black metal influences that can be heard creeping into the music here and there, which also give Self-Hatred a different angle of attack than a lot of their peers.

The music emphasises atmosphere and emotion, with keyboards enhancing the tracks in the ways you would expect. The guitars are nicely thick and crunchy, providing a heaviness that’s always welcome in this style. Rich leads and evocative melodies are employed effectively throughout the music, and the blackened doom that the band create is filled with dark energy and negatively charged feelings.

The songs are full of woeful atmospheres and dark moods, just as you would want from a release like this. The main difference here is that Self-Hatred accomplish this without being completely mired in the 90s, instead injecting a bit more of a modern edge to their sound through a more up-to-date musical vocabulary and some nicely blackened elements. They know their history too though, and these things combine make Theia a very satisfying listen.

The vocal contribution on this album is more varied than your typical doom/death release too. Growls, screams, spoken word, cleans and even occasional female singing can all be heard, overall making the album more resonant and better than it might otherwise have been.

This is a strong debut album from Self-Hatred. It pleases me that the band take what I enjoy about the doom/death style and do something slightly different with it, emphasising the rich atmosphere of the sub-genre and incorporating black metal influences into their delivery.

Highly recommended.