Hate - Morphosis
Listenable - POSH098 - 4 February 2008
By Paddy Walsh
Although hardly the most original death metal band to ever belch forth from hell, Poland's Hate retain a certain identity beneath their relentless onslaught. As opener 'Morphosis' churns up some eerie industrial noise before seguing into the intense 'Threnody', Hate's adeptness at their craft becomes self-evident as rapidly as their riffs shoot into the ears. Catchy and brutal, 'Threnody' sets a high precedent. Morphosis is indeed a noisy yet well-produced death metal record that at times recalls the clinical onslaught that made Zyklon's World ov Worms such a refreshing spin a few years ago. As 'Catharsis' lurches forward, a Deicide-like groove is invoked, and indeed the vocals often exhibit a distinct air of Glen Benton about them.
Unfortunately, there is at times a sense of overfamiliarity to parts of this release renders it a little dull - 'Resurrection Machine' seems to pull all the right speedy moves but never stands out, content to seemingly whizz by san the all-important (yes, even in death metal) hooks to pull you in. That said, 'The Evangelistic Pain' produces a technical, Morbid Angel-tinged franticness, and coupled with its memorable midsection (which utilises samples to great effect) works extremely well. Perhaps strangely, it is when Hate aren't trying too hard to bludgeon the listener for the sake of it that Morphosis is at its best, and they are obviously well-versed at knowing when to incorporate a canny electronic twist. This may be a path they could do well to explore more thoroughly in the future, such as when 'Omega's acoustic intro is beset by an ominous electronic undercurrent that serves to make the track more sinister. Morphosis is an album that is lifted above mediocrity by some great ideas, yet simultaneously let down by a reluctance to fully utilise them.
Official Hate Website
Official Hate MySpace
Official Listenable Records Website
Listenable - POSH098 - 4 February 2008
By Paddy Walsh
Although hardly the most original death metal band to ever belch forth from hell, Poland's Hate retain a certain identity beneath their relentless onslaught. As opener 'Morphosis' churns up some eerie industrial noise before seguing into the intense 'Threnody', Hate's adeptness at their craft becomes self-evident as rapidly as their riffs shoot into the ears. Catchy and brutal, 'Threnody' sets a high precedent. Morphosis is indeed a noisy yet well-produced death metal record that at times recalls the clinical onslaught that made Zyklon's World ov Worms such a refreshing spin a few years ago. As 'Catharsis' lurches forward, a Deicide-like groove is invoked, and indeed the vocals often exhibit a distinct air of Glen Benton about them.
Unfortunately, there is at times a sense of overfamiliarity to parts of this release renders it a little dull - 'Resurrection Machine' seems to pull all the right speedy moves but never stands out, content to seemingly whizz by san the all-important (yes, even in death metal) hooks to pull you in. That said, 'The Evangelistic Pain' produces a technical, Morbid Angel-tinged franticness, and coupled with its memorable midsection (which utilises samples to great effect) works extremely well. Perhaps strangely, it is when Hate aren't trying too hard to bludgeon the listener for the sake of it that Morphosis is at its best, and they are obviously well-versed at knowing when to incorporate a canny electronic twist. This may be a path they could do well to explore more thoroughly in the future, such as when 'Omega's acoustic intro is beset by an ominous electronic undercurrent that serves to make the track more sinister. Morphosis is an album that is lifted above mediocrity by some great ideas, yet simultaneously let down by a reluctance to fully utilise them.
Official Hate Website
Official Hate MySpace
Official Listenable Records Website
