Anaclasis: A Haunting Gospel of Malice & Hatred

Hate's 2005 release was my realization that this underrated death metal band can compete right up there with the other Polish giants, Behemoth and Vader.

Right from the beginning, the album does not let up. Every following song is unique and different, spewing forth one brutal riff right after the other, very reminiscent of Vader. Vocals, again, are very Vader-esque, and it is clear where the band gets its sound from. The words, while obviously rough and brutal, are wonderfully executed in such a fashion as to still be understandable, and the onslaught of words does not simply fade into indistinguishable white noise. The final product is production crisp enough, yet not lacking the raw energy necessary in any good death metal release.

Percussion is another hugely important factor in this release. There are enough tempo changes in each song to create an easily recognizable sound within each song. As I find common with a lot of newer death metal, every song is filled with blast beat after blast beat, and the whole album could very well be one single song. With Anaclasis, that is definitely not the case. Perfectly timed blast beats one minute are replaced by drum-rolls, then to a short silence in percussion... and back to blast beats - an incredibly refreshing variety.

So why the missing 2% to an otherwise-perfect score? Well, perhaps I'm being slightly picky, but my answer is going to be "guitar solos." As I mentioned, the majority of guitar-work are riffs; with the riffs I have absolutely no complaints. They are heavy, they are fast, and they are original. My complaint however is with the occasional solos that are put in here and there throughout the album. They're not bad, but they are not by any sense as outstanding as the other aspects of Anaclasis. I am not expecting Necrophagist-style sweeping or blazing fast arpeggio combos, but there is definite room for slight improvement.

-Marcin W. Cencek

I must admit that I have long since grown tired of death metal in general. This isn't to say that there are not many good bands out there, but lately it has been difficult to find anyone to reiterate the fiery adrenaline that this genre does so well. Hate have completely accomplished this goal and simultaneously surpassed it.

There is nothing in my mind about this album that is not excellent. The vocals are some of the most brutal I have heard from any band, and yet they retain a very clear intelligible timbre that while not absolutely necessary adds an amazing touch to this masterpiece. Not only that, but the meter and rhythm in which Adam the First Sinner spews forth his diabolical crooning completely destroy the often overused technique of running every word into one incoherent droll.

The guitars are amazing showcasing ATF Sinner's song writing propensity. The solos are nothing ground breaking, but definitely not bad and they certainly fit well within the songs themselves. Another quality that sets this album apart is that the songs are actually varied from one to the other, again as this is not completely necessary to create a good album, it makes this one all the better. I have a hard time imagining anyone listening to this album and complaining that the songs run together and are indistinguishable from one another, very dynamic indeed.

The drums are also phenomenal here. Hexen tears his way through every composition with ease and finesse. The use of over attacked and tweaked drum tones is tolerable here because it cuts through the mix so well and still retains a real organic feeling. This album contains some of the cleanest and most precise blast beats I have ever heard, everything cuts through the mix and all of the parts are very tasteful.

The lyrics are as expected largely anti-christian. I am actually partially torn when it comes to the subject matter because sometimes it comes off as cheesy and poorly written and other times I find it very interesting and powerfully eloquent. The latter is usually the case.

This album is a rock fucking solid contribution form the Polish death/black wizards. If you appreciate extreme music at all you cannot pass this up, simply astounding.

That was my first reaction when I heard this album... A friend of mine told me I would shit myself after hearing one of the fastest drummers ever, one of the most insane vocals, and one of the best death metal albums ever. And he was right, except for the shit part...

"Fucking God how could you let this happen???" was my reaction after I realised that this didn't stop and that it just kept going heavier and darker. Satan must have let opened doors from hell and this band found its way out of there. This music comes straight from hell, and you'll first notice that in the intro to his album: Anaclasis, which begins with some kind of evil noise that quickly turns into one of the heaviest riffs of the album.

Since the moment they decided to add industrial sound to their music they knew exactly what they wanted: unique hellish music. I had the pleasure to listen to it another time in order to write a review (again hehehe). And every time I listen to it again its like fucking being reborn. Lyrics full of that kind of satanic hatred fit perfect with music and even with song titles. It's almost flawless, with the exception of soloing which you'll find not that impressive but perfection does not exist.

Every song in here is different but they al have something in common they're all as close as hell as you could ever be (or want to be). Don't get me wrong because this is a good thing. They all show off their music skills in every song, it's like a competition between songs and it's a difficult decision to chose a winner. Drums are just amazing in every song and so are guitars. One of the most interesnting things of this are choruses. Yeah they put choruses into their songs, so you'll scream as you headbang and then we'll see who remains...

At the end of this malefic journey you'll meet those evil noises again, announcing that this experience has come to its end... But if you thought this was only possible due to technology and that this guys can make it live you're damn wrong. This will blow not only your ears but your eyes and even your whole heads. Seriously.

Best songs: Necropolis, Malediction, Euphoria of the New Breed

First off I want to say that Hate is one of the most underrated death metal bands. Often over looked by other bigger Polish acts like Behemoth, Vader, and Decapitated. They have been around since 92' and put out several quality releases and Anaclasis trumps them all. Hate brings forth unrelenting brutal death metal the way it should be played. Meaning that the majority of bands that play blast filled metal, can and will get repetitive. In Hate's case this does not happen, though most of the album is blast beats, the song writing is definitely there making the listening experience enjoyable throughout the whole CD. By not having every single riff incorporate a blast beat and no variance in tempo and harmony/melody.

Making catchy and memorable songs takes precedence over their "musicianship." For this whole CD I think there is one or two guitar solos and the riffs are not technical. However, there is a wide variety of riffs, harmonic blast riffs and more melodic riffs that are used for slower sections in songs. But the strongest aspect of the album is Adam's vocals, this guy is seriously one of the best singers in the death metal genre. Loud and guttural, but this diction is also phenomenal you can hear every word that is spoken. On top having great vocals his vocal patterns that are not "run of mill" he knows when to start and end them, which makes a very interesting vocal sections. He is definitely an anomaly amongst metal singers.

If you call yourself a fan of death metal you need to obtain a copy of this CD, it is essential for any fan of the genre. And I will go as far as to say its better than Behemoth, Vader, and Decapitated's latest releases. So go out and buy the fucking album.

Kick Ass Tracks: Euphoria Of The New Breed, Necropolis, and Malediction.