King Of All Kings (Earache~2002)
The death metal scene has produced quite a few good albums the past couple years. Still, the genre can always stand a good shot of adrenaline from Erik Rutan and the boys in Hate Eternal. Their sophomore release is another runaway train of fast death metal. The title track sets the tone with plenty of speed and intensity. My only complaint is that the songs all sound pretty similar, with complexity and composition most often giving way to ferocity and a hectic pace. For what it is -- a brutal death metal album -- "King Of All Kings" is quite satisfying. Powerful vocals, which consist mostly of low growls mixed in with occasional angry screams, are backed by incredibly fast drumming. The backbone to it all is awesome guitar work. The guitar sounds and riffs are attention getting, especially in such tracks as "The Obscure Terror" and "Powers That Be". Smoking guitar solos add spice to this album, which I have a feeling may just be the beginning of this bandīs attempt to test death metalīs limits of speed and quality.