Heretical Dawn of Apocalypse

Thorns of Hate is a Malaysian black/death metal band that formed in 2004. The band supposedly dropped a promo single in 2005 before splitting up and subsequently reforming in 2008. In 2010 they released their debut demo, Abominable Triumph of Heresy, which featured four tracks of barbaric blackened death metal. The band's follow up, 2011's Heretical Dawn of Apocalypse, was released by Blood Harvest on 7” and, again, features four tracks that should get any fan of GoatoRayBan black/death psyched.

While this EP technically has four tracks, one is a short intro featuring machinery noise, creepy laughter and chains rattling and another is an outro which continues the same rattling chains and noise. That leaves us all with two tracks of blasting Malaysian black/death metal. Thorns of Hate pummels their way through the remainder of the EP, with a nonstop barrage of double bass runs and frenetic fills and deep, bestial vocals. Fiery, rumbling trem riffing collides headfirst with slowly churning power chords and pick slides, creating a rather eerie offering that boasts a huge low end. “Doom Annihilation” shows a combination of deep and jagged trem riffing and slow-paced yet thundering crawling while “Angel of Abomination and Desolation” focuses on thick and slow building doom before unleashing a barrage of heavy handed riffing and pummeling drumming.

While the band does do a bang up job, there are a few pieces that just don't flow, like the high pitched, clanging cymbal sound at times, which really sounds out of place given the dark and low sound of the rest of the music. The low-ended production stifles the intensity at times, but a strong focus through the murk reveals a competent black/death metal outfit that any fan of the Ross Bay Cult style should find to their liking. Grab some shades, strap on that bullet belt and blast the fuck out.