Forever Burning Hatred

Three years after their impressive debut full length “The Proclamation” Hungarian death metal masters Angerseed have followed up with an EP titled “Forever Burning Hatred”. While classified as EP you get 40 minutes of high quality death metal without compromises, so while the last song is a re-recording of an older one this piece of music could easily be categorized as full album. Over the course of the years Angerseed has seen a few line-up changes with singer Peter being more or less the only constant factor, but this does not take anything away from the thrilling character of the music.

This EP/album has a rich, thick and heavy sound, complex but not fussy, with superb US Death Metal influenced guitar work, with a node to bands like Immolation or Morbid Angel, but also an extra portion of European directness thrown in for good measure. Slightly technical, slightly progressive with noticeable blackened elements, but also highly melodic at the same time, this is very traditional death metal at its core, all melded with a lush fluidity and dark haunting melody. The interplay of the crunchy basic riffs and the memorable lead harmonies are a real highlight here, perfectly balancing heaviness with groove and hypnotic melodies.

Despite the relentless and aggressive sound there are catchy and atmospheric moments, and some of the hooks are going to stick with the listener after the second or third spin. Harmonies that seem a bit disjointed at first work as transition elements before the trademark chords of the respective song are repeated again. Some rhythm and tempo changes are used to add a certain layer of complexity, but this is not really overcomplicated technical stuff, with the focus always being kept on delivering straight-to-the-face and enjoyable tracks. Some of the best moments come with the groovier parts, which most of the time end up in another onslaught of furious accords and blasts.

While the technical level is pretty impressive and the complexity level has been slightly ramped up fans of straight-forward old school death metal should not be afraid. On top of the hammering beats you get the ultra-brutal trademark vocals by Peter, who is giving his all. This guy is an amazing talent and able to keep up with some of the genre’s finest. While spitting out the words in growly fashion the lyrics can be perfectly understood making the whole album even more enjoyable. This is helped by the fact that the production has taken another step up, combining a clear and dynamic approach with the heftiness to keep purists satisfied. Each of the instruments has been treaded in the right way in the mix.