Hate Eternal – Upon Desolate Sands (Review)

Hate Eternal are a US death metal band and this is their seventh album.

Muscular and taut, Hate Eternal are a band that channel the sheer primal force that death metal is capable of. The band’s music is technical and brutal, but not massively overly so in either direction, preferring instead to focus on songwriting and the crafting of death metal with direction and purpose, rather than just showing off or crushing the most skulls.

Of course, that’s not to say that what we have here isn’t impressively technical, and doesn’t crush skulls by the dozen, it’s just that Hate Eternal are more than just these two things. Hate Eternal have always had clinical, lethal focus, and this translates into quality death metal songs that provide ample speed, aggression, and memorability for the listener to lap up.

The songs are heavy and dense, with inventive riffing and pummelling drums. Melody is used sparingly, but it’s there, providing extra depth and atmosphere amidst the carnage of the rest of the music. Mid-paced offensives are used like steamroller assaults to flatten and destroy, while the faster sections are more surgical and strike deep and hard at all times.

There’s no filler on this record, no dip in quality throughout, and no compromise at all. This is 39 minutes of highly enjoyable and professional death metal, and it really does hit the spot. I’ll be listening to this for some time.

Very highly recommended.