DEATHTALE – The Origin of Hate
- Posted on 28-06-2019
Following a moody and somewhat mellow introductory track entitled "The Dark One", the Austrian horde that is Deathtale launch into their sharp and pummeling brand of death/thrash without any let-up in terms of energy or aggression for roughly 40 minutes. There are even a number of hard- and metal-core influences scattered throughout the disc too. As to production values and musicianship, this 11-track slab of crushing metal leaves very little to be desired, which is to say that the record is technically impressive while also striking a good balance between raw brutality and a rather clear and well-adjusted mix where all instruments are prominent and perfectly audible. The tunes are to the point and rarely last more than 3 or 4 minutes, so one could argue that they never really outstay their welcome as such, but the downside to the entire affair is that they are slightly formulaic and at times even lackluster and mundane.
Simply put, one is left feeling that one has heard it a billion times before, which hardly constitutes a captivating or memorable listening experience. The only real highlights to these ears are the blistering "Seven Sins" and the melodic feast that is "Embrace the Fire".
"The Origin of Hate" is neither awful nor without merit, but it lacks excitement and a sense of the unpredictable, and there are simply too many clichés and too few strong cuts to be found on it.