By: AvNatten

Posted: Oct 16, 2005

Hate Eternal were formed during the late 90ties by death metal guitarist extraordinaire Erik Rutan. His goal was to create a band that would showcase the skills of him and his band mates and to also test their achievements for he is always striving to become something more and greater. Erik has an impressive pedigree when it comes to metal, after having spent many years in Morbid Angel as well as time in Ripping Corpse and other projects.

Three years have passed since "King Of All Kings" was released and I know that I for one was amazed by that album and was delighted when their latest album which is also their third, finally hit the shelves. Accompanying Erik's guitar work and vocals on this release are bassist Randy Pyro and drummer Derek Roddy.

The songs on "I, Monarch" hit you with intensity and force. Roddy's drumwork is astounding and lightening fast throughout the entire disc. 'It Is Our Will', a track that is entirely composed by Roddy showcases his harsh rhythmic drumming. Rutan stays true to his ideas of always striving to push his boundaries further for they are more experimental this time around and have more varied tempo shifts as well as offering the violent groove and squealing guitar leads that we expect from Rutan and co. The straight-forwardness is there but the band offers more, even employing the use of a didgeridoo and Middle Eastern sounds on 'To Know Our Enemies'. The instrumental track 'Faceless Ones' doesn’t even have the pummelling blast beats but instead lets the drums explore the different tempos and grooves within the song.

This entire disc is furious and violent, it will rip through you with such intensity that you will be thinking about the songs even after the disc has stopped in your player to let your brain rest from its bludgeoning. The album is wonderfully produced. It has a rich, full sound although the bass is a bit buried in the mix. It is definitely a must-have for the technical death metal fanatics.

Rating: 9/10

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