Hate Eternal - Phoenix Amongst the Ashes (2011)

Genre: Death Metal

Release Date: May 10, 2011

1. Rebirth (1:17)

2. The Eternal Ruler (3:10)

3. Thorns of Acacia (4:29)

4. Haunting Abound (5:00)

5. The Art of Redemption (4:42)

6. Phoenix Amongst the Ashes (5:42)

7. Deathveil (3:31)

8. Hatesworn (4:48)

9. Lake Ablaze (4:29)

10. The Fire of Resurrection (3:57)

Hate Eternal's music is like a fine wine: it gets better with age.  For the veteran death metal act this is their fifth album, since their formation in the late 1990s, and I can comfortably say it is their best release to date.  Phoenix Amongst the Ashes combines all of the best elements of Hate Eternal's repertoire and packages it into a brilliant and brutal 41 minute audio assault.  What can I say?  Eric Rutan (Hate Eternal guitarist, vocalist, and producer) is a musical genius and this is one of the best death metal albums of 2011.

The album kicks off with the marching introduction track "Rebirth", which quickly gives way to the fast-paced brutality of "The Eternal Ruler".  These songs give you a taste of what the rest of this album is going to be like: a declaration of war on your ear canals (but totally in a good way, I promise).

"Thorns of Acacia" and "Haunting Abound" are also amazing tracks.  I particularly like the groovy introduction of the latter song, which weaves along until the double layered vocal track cuts in: "haunting abound!!!!"  I have a link to the official youtube audio stream of that song below.

Haunting Abound

"The Art of Redemption" is another interesting song that has a fast-paced cacophonous tremolo picking riff, which leads into more blistering dissonant sections throughout the track.  I could say more about it, but I'll let the audio do the talking for me.

The Art of Redemption

My favorite track from the album is actually the one which is the most simplistic from a technical standpoint, "The Fire of Resurrection".  It's not always technicality that makes death metal music great.  Sometimes simple riffs that provide a moody atmosphere can be all you need.

 The  Fire of  Resurrection

Everything we've come to expect from Hate Eternal - furious drumming by Derek Roddy, dissonant guitar riffs, punchy bass, and intense guttural vocals from Eric Rutan - is present on Phoenix Amongst the Ashes and taken to new heights.  In my opinion, this album tops I, Monarch and other great releases from Hate Eternal.  We can only expect more great things are to come from these death metal legends in the future.

Final Rating: 9.5/10

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: The Eternal Ruler, Haunting Abound, The Fire of Resurrection