Rating: 8.5

Country: USA

Release Date: 2005

Record Label: Earache

Track list:
1. Two Demons
2. Behold Judas
3. The Victorious Reign
4. To Know Our Enemies
5. I, Monarch
6. Path To The Eternal Gods
7. The Plague Of Humanity
8. It Is Our Will
9. Sons Of Darkness
10. Faceless One

Band Website: Hate Eternal

Hate Eternal - I, Monarch

Erik Rutan - Guitar/Vocals
Randy Piro - Bass
Derek Roddy - Drums

At last Erik Rutan has created something with poise and balance rather than charging into an Extremityville cul-de-sac. Both 'Conquering the Throne' and 'King of All Kings' had moments of blistering genius, but they explored mere facets of Rutan's finesse and each had polarised production. Both Rutan and Roddy have forged something that is varied in tempo and delivery, containing tinges of regal subtlety and lurking multiple layers of dread.  

With a superbly produced crushing guitar sound that shrieks and grinds at all frequencies there is a warm feel to the riffage that seems to make those dragging diseased harmonised chords (used centrally in the title track) and demonic crunchy spasms more of a shock when they arrive. The album begins with a very strong 'Domination' flavour but the historical links with Morbid Angel are fairly restrained, limited to ethereal spatial effects, eccentric soloing and perverted note manipulations. "The Victorious Reign" is a class lesson in how to build momentum in waves. The bass is submerged, partly obscured by Rutan's layered growls, but Piro's contribution in the composition department is palpable in nailing down the character of Hate Eternal.  

The drums are so perfect it is almost sickening. Intricate, ferocious, non-linear and precise with faultless natural sound reproduction. Roddy even manages to impart tribal tom-thumping with vigour and freshness. His complex use of cymbals and syncopated pounding is most obvious during "It is Our Will", a breathless torrent of rhythm-orientated density that is alternately harsh and grandiose. This track was composed by Roddy alone, so clearly the Rutan-Roddy relationship is working both ways.  

All the ingredients are right this time, however, the overuse of core riffs within song structures could cause some apathy. Luckily there is so much more bubbling beneath the surface. Certainly the memorably groovy and surprisingly upbeat instrumental that ends the album hints at a colourful future for a band that was looking worryingly fatigued.

July 24th, 2005