Hate are a Polish, blackened death metal band, who somewhat obviously face comparisons with their cousins Behemoth. However, I feel that this is selling both bands short. They both have their own ways and styles although there are, of course, some similarities. However, this is not an article to discuss those, this is an article to discuss the bands 9th studio album, Crusade:Zero.
I admit that this album took a while to click with me! It has some strange structural choices such as the two intro tracks. Vox Die (A Call From Beyond) is a slow ominous build up that wouldn't sound too out of place at the beginning of an 'epic movie fight scene'. However, this is then followed by Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Wrath, which is a more crushing and 'doomy' piece with wandering guitar riffs, thick basslines and the obvious inclusion of the double kick. Admittedly I like that this follows perfectly into Death Liberator but I just don't understand the thought process at work here. Usually, you hook the listener in with the intro track and then come out and make a statement with the track that follows it. The two intro track decision is odd. It appears as though the band couldn't pick one, or were padding out their track count. The only statement made here as a result is indecisiveness. I feel the album would have flowed better if the two intro tracks were worked into one, or if the second track and Death Liberator were made into one track. I also find myself questioning the inclusion of a bonus track, especially when this track (The Reaping) comes after the album's outro. This, once again, ruins the flow of the album and the entire concept of an instrumental outro.
Anyway! With that out of the way, lets crack on. The first actual track is sadly the third track on offering and in my opinion, it isn't quite the statement we were looking for. Led by the vicious growls and relentless double kick, the only statement this song makes to me is 'last album'. I mean, it is a good song but offers nothing new. It offers no reason to keep listening to this album, or even buy this album when you have the option of their older material. Of course there will be those fans of Hate, or of the genre, that are happy with this lack of divergence but I would have preferred something a little braver for the first fully fledged song on the album.
However, there is a song that makes a statement on this album! I bring you Leviathan. It is a crushing, heavy, bleak song with a fantastic down tempo doom feel to it. The chorus "Abyss/Born/Leviathan" is aggressive and violent with a guttural emphasis on all of those words and leaving enough space for some crazy head banging. Between the down tempo'd chorus though, the song rips open into a speedy death metal affair with all of the usual seasoning and some fantastic guitar riffing. I really love this doomy style that they mingled with their usual blackened death metal shredding. When I first heard this single it floored me, it still does, it is perhaps one of the best metal songs of the year. Leviathan is certainly enough of statement to warrant extra listening. That is, if you make it that far. Sadly the track that follows, Doomsday Celebrities, once again feels very generic. I like the drumming which adds a little something different but the rest, once again, feels very déjà vu.
Hate is Law manages to reclaim some of that brilliance but has a similar "down tempo vs shredding" formula to Leviathan but the bridge section that kicks in at 3:20 is the saving grace. It is a very groove led section that almost has a downtrodden southern rock feel to it and I mean that in a complimentary manner. Although of course, it is delivered with all the viciousness that Hate normally bring with them. It is a great example of a band attempting something a little different and having it pay off fantastically.
Valley of Darkness was the second single from the album and is probably reason number 3 to buy this album. It starts with a dramatic riff as the drums build towards the more crushing section of this intro. Once again this song has a great head-nod inducing groove that the majority of the album is missing. Mercifully, with the tension at its highest, the vocals cut in and herald a new age of aggression for this song. Although the grooves are still there, they seem less 'front and centre'. Also, look out for a great solo at the 5:10 mark.
Once again, sadly the album begins to falter. Crusade:Zero feels a little run of the mill, The Omnipresence is another instrumental (the album tops out at 4, 2 of which feel unnecessary), Rise Omega The Consequence offers little new to the album, Dawn of War feels very much the same and then there is the outro, Black Aura Debris, which is a solid offering. It's a functional outro track and does that well. However, it is then succeeded by the bonus track The Reaping. Having already discussed my issues with this structure, I will not cover this track here.
All in all, I would probably suggest you avoid this album as a whole. Unless you are the type to listen to this genre a lot, then perhaps you might want it in your arsenal. However, I would simply suggest you buy Lord, Make Me An Insturment of Thy Wrath, Leviathan, Hate is Law and Valley of Darkness and be done with it. Despite being a 13 track album, I feel that beyond those 4 there is little else on offer.
Article by Gary Lee (@Thewheelbear)
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