Ballet of the Brute

Hatesphere are one of these Nordic bands that contributed to what could be considered the second wave of Euro melodic death metal after the first wave from the 90's. Lots of bands played this brand of thrashy melodic metal with a bit of a death metal edge to it around that early 2000's period, which probably heralded the subsequent deathcore movement from yet a few years after that. In this case, there's also a definite hardcore element to the music with its brutish, confrontational style. This is the start of metal bands opting for tightness to their sound compared to the equivalent looser-sounding bands of the 90's - punchy drums, dynamic vocals, with more detailed and wide sounding guitar tones.

This isn't a style that usually produced bands with any notable originality, and after the sensation of the first few bands coming out with that fresh new sound it was mostly a copycat genre. However, some bands distinguished themselves in the midst of this same-sounding sea of new melo-death-thrash by writing particularly compelling music within that style, and it was the case for Hatesphere on 'Ballet of the Brute'. The music is generic, and not at all original, but it's simply super effective. The grooves are particularly contagious, the riffing actually tight, and although the lyrics are dumb as shit and there's very little depth at all in this area of the metal spectrum, the music just makes the listener feel mighty.

All the tracks are focused and well-written, and one can tell the effort was put in the music and not just the production or merely the general demeanor as a front. As cheesy as the title is, 'Only the Strongest...' is a particularly potent song, and it's difficult to not just indulge in the sheer heaviness at play. The sort of energy they inject into the grooves is just contagious and grabs a hold on the listener, however one-dimensional and silly the style they play generally might be. They took the rugged heavy gallops and power chord oomph of hardcore, as well as its live raw whole-band recording feel, and mixed it with the riffing detail and lead expertise of melo-death metal. It's genuinely solid stuff, and there's enough quality in it that it'll have the listener excited about getting back to it years later, immediately recognizing the riffs. It's also just the right length: 36min. It makes its point and doesn't feel like it's a song or two too long. Short and sweet. It's no metal classic, but not every album needs to be for it to be enjoyable.

Annable Courts - https://antichristmagazine.com/review-hatesphere-ballet-of-the-brute-scarlet-records/

It's always nice for a band to take you outside your comfort zone, although it's only the first word of the title to Hatesphere's third album that deviates from the norm. Rest assured that there is nothing balletic about Ballet of the Brute, just plenty of brute force, brute strength, and brute ugliness. The earlier days of the band seemed more closely connected to the fading melodeath scene in neighbouring Sweden than their latter habit of smashing the listener with deathly rhythms and thrashy riffing, though in either case they have rarely changed the pattern of attack. However, this album is sandwiched between two of the more distinctive efforts from the Danes, those of the savage yet disciplined espresso Bloodred Hatred and the groovier, hook-laden The Sickness Within; therefore, it could be said that there is good reason why Ballet of the Brute has remained rather neglected.

That's not to say it's a poor album though. In fact, there are more reasons to appreciate the riff work and vocal skills of Jacob Bredahl than on many albums following the major line-up changes, especially noticeable because of the minor amounts of variety that seep into an otherwise one-dimensional formula. Most of the songs are extremely reliant on their ability to hit fast and hard, surging forward on that familiar rhythmic bounce that sounds like melodeath but is heavier and nastier and groovier, melding thrash and pure death into an alloy of toughened steel. Occasionally that kind of riff does become wearing, especially when offered in the less inspired strain, such as in the verse of 'Vermin', but then we get something like the sudden concrete-heavy death thrash riff that follows it up, not to mention a genuine thrash break and cool solo, so something is always ready to refresh the songs. Also entering the band's repertoire by this point was the metalcore breakdown, something that massively influences 'Only the Strongest', which is a kind of low and slow slug of a chugfest, giving it a believable brutality though not a lot in the way of memorability.

The quantity of good riffs is slightly higher than on other Hatesphere albums, highlights including those bursts of extremity in 'Vermin', the thrashy fretwork and very melodic break of 'What I See I Despise', and the generally enjoyable 'Warhead'. The intro 'The Beginning and the End' begins with an awfully dull chug, but climaxes with possibly the album's best riff, so kind of justifies its inclusion. The solos are - as usual - pretty good, though still strangely sparse, a few songs possessing none at all; this is something that affects the listenability of Ballet for the Brute, since the sound is generally thick and filled by rhythm playing, plus Bredahl's almost omnipresent vocals. As the band's original singer, he did possess a certain something that the subsequent replacements seem not to have, which perhaps could be expressed simply as conviction. He doesn't have a great range of vocal tricks to go through, mostly sticking to higher screams and lower growls, but he is the only vocalist the Danes have had that can match the necessary intensity of the riffing with his own madness. The lyrics here are a cut above the poor efforts often seen in the genre, with the usual subjects being handled with nuance as well as 'Downward to Nothing' seeing an exploration of homeless life. It's 'Warhead', however, that gets the "amusing lyric" award (always necessary for Hatesphere albums) with the line "My tube of death is pointing your way."

One thing that does worry me about this album is that it bears striking similarities to another album released the previous year, namely The Haunted's One Kill Wonder. While the two bands have always shared certain traits, the style and structuring of Ballet of the Brute and One Kill Wonder are dangerously close, since both feature a loud, brutal production exaggerating the guitars, a shouty singer, slight melodeath tendencies, and a very comparable tracklist. The same trick of starting the album with a short instrumental followed by a searing sub-two minute blast of a song is most conspicuous and does make one question Hatesphere's credibility, particularly since 'Deathtrip' is no 'Godpuppet'. In any case, the bands' paths would diverge before long, as The Haunted took a trip into mellower territory and would eventually come back round behind the Danes for the pretty redundant comeback album Exit Wounds.

In conclusion, Ballet of the Brute is a middling death/thrash/melodeath effort that also ends up neither high nor low in Hatesphere's discography. The aggression is all there (the only thing that has never been in question), while the riffs are decent and occasionally offer something different. For those who never liked Hatesphere, there's no possibility of liking this album, but for those who appreciate the work of The Haunted, Dew-Scented, or Darkane there should be enough to get you excited.