Holy Dead Trinity

Hate

WWIII Records, 2001

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_(band)

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 05/19/2001

If I had to name one area of the world which I would call the place to watch for extreme metal bands, I'd have to say that Poland was at or near the top of my list. Groups like Vader have shown that death metal has not only taken root in these unlikely areas, but is being taken in directions no one could have imagined.

That's why I like Holy Dead Trinity, the first release on these shores from Hate. A compilation of tracks from their two albums released in Poland (and obviously meant to whet our appetites for the upcoming new album Cain's Way, this disc shows that there can indeed be originality in a genre that some may see as unbending. (One note to the band, though - enough with the sound effect of flames licking at the speakers. Once is okay; doing it again the next song is a bit overkill. We know the band isn't singing about milk and cookies.)my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Hate - lead guitarist/vocalist Adam The Original Sinner, rhythm guitarist Kaos, bass guitarist Cyprian and drummer Mittloff - have a surprisingly clear sound for this genre of music. Adam's vocal grunts are much crisper than anyone could imagine coming from a group like this - namely, you can actually understand what he's saying at times! What makes his performance even more noteworthy is the way he tries to work melody into his vocal lines - listen to "Share Your Blood With Daemon" and tell me that he's not actually singing!

Holy Dead Trinity is filled with the kind of song titles and lyrics that would make Jerry Falwell hide in fear - tracks such as "God Overslept," No Life After Death" and "Satan's Horde" stand out, even after repeat listenings. In fact, no track on this disc disappoints - though I will admit that Hate didn't do anything new on their cover of Napalm Death's "The Kill".

I will raise one question, though - why wasn't any material from Daemon Qui Fecit Terram included on this disc? Oh, what's here is great, no question about that - but you're literally getting, with one exception from each, the entire contents of Lord Is Avenger and the mini-EP Victims on this disc. (The artwork itself is from Lord Is Avenger.) It would have made for a more interesting collection had Hate's first full-length disc been included in the mix as well. (It should also be noted that the lineup noted above is the present-day group; the tracks on this disc were recorded with lead guitarist Ralph, and everything culled from Lord Is Avenger features bassist Daniel.)

Still, Holy Dead Trinity is an impressive first taste from Hate, and makes me want to hear what this band will offer on their next full-length disc later this year. It also serves as a reminder that some of the best death metal isn't coming from Europe or America - and that fans of the genre should be ready to broaden their horizons.

Rating: A-

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© 2001 Christopher Thelen and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of WWIII Records, and is used for informational purposes only.