During the rise of the Second Wave of Black Metal (that happened just few years after the Second Wave of Death Metal), the genre new outfit spread influences for many other genres, and it’s usual to happen. It’s obvious that Blackened Death Metal - that’s not simply a mix between Black Metal and Death Metal - wasn’t born on the 90s, but the genre evolved a lot with both waves, because new elements were found. And many bands started to work on such trench, but it doesn’t mean that new ways can’t be discovered, and it seems to be the driving force of the Norwegian trio HATE ANGEL, as heard on “Extinction Ritual”.

The sonority is something different of the usual, because it bears the needed aggressiveness of the genre (due the instrumental tunes used, that has a classic outfit, but with modern updates), but’s defined and understandable in a way that all the instrumental arrangements are clean to the ears. And what somber and charming artwork on the cover. To say that their music is based on a model of Blackened Death Metal would sound/seem as a blasphemy. It has a lot of influences inherited from Death Metal (as some fast tempos), Thrash Metal (some riffs and tempos would remind the genre, as heard on “Blood & Silver”) and even traditional Heavy Metal (as the melodies heard on the solos and some arrangements on “Music of Torture”), and their personality seems to a big ‘fuck off’ in the face of limits and of anyone that try to attach the band to anything that isn’t its own musical identity. It’s brutal and full of energy, but with excellent arrangements. Dive into it, NOW!

The experience of listening to “Orkdal 1977” (some traces of Thrash Metal can be heard during the bombing of excellent double bass parts of the drums and harsh tunes of the vocals that are far from the usual death growls), “Crawling from the Grave” (an aggressive and short track filled with Death/Thrash Metal influences and many hooks, again with excellent harsh vocals), “Music of Torture” (excellent drumming and bass playing that makes the rhythmic shifts swift, fine elements of Black Metal are heard, and with charming melodic leads and arrangements of the guitars), “Blood & Silver”, “Tyr Blot”, “Morningstar” (excellent extreme Metal hooks can be heard and fine rhythmic contrasts), “Kill the King” and “Extinction Ritual” is really great, so take it!

“Extinction Ritual” is HATE ANGEL’s second full-length, and it depicts a band that has too much to offer to the extreme Metal scene. Taste it!