BLACK HATE is a Black Metal band from Mexico and they are just as dark and ferocious as any of their Nordic counterparts.  They have all the hallmarks of Black Metal: searing vocals, fast riffs, insanely fast drumming, and cold, blackened hate for humanity.  Fortunately, they also possess amazing skill at their instruments and weave in wonderful passages of instrumentation that steps outside normal black metal constraints. BLACK HATE reminds me a lot of MELECHESH, for those wanting a frame of reference.

I love the cultural style music they throw into the mix of "Aneetmaa." For the first quarter of the song it is standard (albeit, well done) black metal.  At the 2:43 mark, the song slows its pace with some clean but no less dark and creepy guitar playing.  The lead guitar here is amazing, filling this unique passage with well-done solos.  Ikanunna also plays drums and he keeps a heavy beat going with some deep double bass.  An almost soulful sounding solo appears after the four minute mark, almost beautiful in its stark contrast to the genre it is being played in.

With the third track, "Kazudijirzu" the guitar riffs are more focused and fleshed out than a lot of black metal, choosing substance over being super-fast. Ikanunna's vocals here are disturbing and very well done, trading black metal shrieks for heavy, throaty screams, low end growls, and some sort of creepy combination between talking, whispering, and moaning.  It really heightens the atmosphere of the songs and makes it twenty five percent more evil, which is something you want in Black Metal. Just when the music starts to becoming slightly stale, a really nice riff breaks everything up at the 3:40 mark, surprisingly catchy and groovy.  It is the random twist and turns in the album, such as this that really bring it home.

"Fuego/Viento," is my favorite track on the album because so many great moments are spread throughout it.  The first two minutes are black metal magic with insane vocals.  Around the 2:20 mark, the band turns into a machine.  The snare and cymbals are beat to death, the guitars mix fast riffs that are still head banging.  The song gets even better with the solo, played with much passion and a restrained fury.  Soon as the solo is over the guitar slows a bit, playing thick death metal style riffs; the vocals and the guitar play the same thing here, a double attack that melts the ears.  Just when it has a chance to be over, a face melting solo comes out of nowhere ending with the guitar riffs and drums dueling out as they pound black metal until the song ends.  It is almost eight minutes long but it sure doesn't feel like it.

The title track is another highlight. The song stays pretty quiet in the beginning before the song bursts like a dam around the 1:30 mark; it's almost like it is two songs in one.  The furious assault is continued until extremely spastic and intense vocals are spit out like venom, over a nice riff and frantic drums.  It slows down once more with a choppy riff backed by some more creep moaning vocals.  The atmosphere invoked here is really mysterious and really captures the cold sound that black metal is known for.

It looks like black metal is going to have another good year of releases and I can safely assume that BLACK HATE'S "Through the Darkness," is going to be one of the best the genre has to offer this year.