HATESPHERE – New Hell
- Posted on 06-12-2015
A Danish modern thrash juggernaut, Hatesphere plow along through their ninth studio album "New Hell", not losing any momentum in their quest for aural domination. Do not fear commercial horizons here – Pepe, Jakob, Jimmy, Mike, and Esse will have none of that. Slicing and dicing through these 10 songs, there are subtle nods to different schools of melodic and extreme metal – never to the detriment though of the wall of guitars or fierce drumming that gut punches until the body can take no more.
Starting with the speedy one-two punch of "The Executioner" and "Lines Crossed Lives Lost", the record twists and turns through more mid-tempo anthems and moodier terrain without sacrificing the quintet’s integrity or established platform. They’ll lob out a short ballad-oriented instrumental like "On the Shores of Hell" that may be in the ballpark of 80’s Metallica or Testament, only to kick tails the song before on the punkified up-tempo slammer "Your Sad Existence" which even offers up a little bit of a lead bass salvo in its opening sequence. Pepe and Jakob sling monster dual riffs and have great back and forth skills, most evident on the fierce title cut that has catchy hooks that require incessant head banging while being very harmonically engaging during the lead break section of "Master of Betrayal".
Esse as a vocalist has this low oriented semi-growl meets hardcore delivery that allows the band to cross even more underground appeal. When words like ‘you wouldn’t be so stupid/ to bite the feeding hand’ careen across the airspace during "The Executioner", the forceful manner of his word spew is just as important as the content. Long-time producer Tue Madsen keeps the Hatesphere sound full and as lively as possible – a killer snare snap plus thick guitar sound crucial for modern thrash to succeed.
Continuing in the same tradition set out with their last two studio albums, "New Hell" will not disappoint any Hatesphere lifers, and hopefully gain some new converts to the flock.