HATE ETERNAL is back after three years with their new release Fury & Flames. I was curious to hear what vocalist/lead guitarist Erik Rutan and crew would sound like, with the departure of long time drummer Derek Roddy, and after the death of original bassist Jared Anderson. Would this change the sound of the band? With a new drummer Jade Simonetto and additional guitarist Shaune Kelley. Not to mention Cannibal Corpse bass virtuoso Alex Webster. Could this be the most triumphant HATE ETERNAL yet? I will let my ears be the judge.

The album is just ferocious from the start. The title Fury & Flames fits just perfectly. For the hardcore Death Metal fan this is it. This is the definition of brutal death metal. Fast, furious, and the ever present unintelligible death metal growling that has no variation to it. I hate to say this, but this isn’t one of HATE ETERNAL’s finer pieces of work. The saving grace is Erik’s signature sound guitar solos, which some may recognize from his earlier days in Morbid Angel. Aside from that, I am totally disappointed that Alex Webster’s bass playing is so low in the mix. I was hoping the low end would be played up more, to compliment or even duel with the guitars. The drums are played at break neck speeds and sometimes the guitars become a gooey mess of fast noise. After several songs, the album becomes redundant and it gets hard to distinguish one song from the next. The best track on the album is called Tombeau, it seems to stand apart from the other tracks with its variations in grooves and paces.

Maybe it’s the loss of the former members, but something here is just getting stale. HATE ETERNAL is good at what they do, and they do it well, but can they make it more interesting for the listener? That question that only they can answer.