From their record label’s website, “HATE FOREST born in 1995 and split-up in 2004. 2020 – A rebirth. A true legend of Slavonic Black Metal, never being part of the scene, never giving interviews or making photos, the band crafted own name with their extreme individualism and estrangement. HATE FOREST were always far from politics, religion, denied any modern world values and ideals. The band never gave interviews, never made photos and always hold the distance from the whole black metal scene. HATE FOREST‘s music can be described as grim, cold, aggressive and straightforward black metal, mostly very fast with low, distorted vocals and dark ambient elements. The band’s lyrics are heavily influenced by Scythian and Slavic legends, the cosmology of H. P. Lovecraft and the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche.”

The album has eight songs, and “Werewolves” is first. It has a thick, aggressive sound out of the gate, with a veritable wall of guitars, blast beat drumming, and harsh vocals that are guttural instead of the usual shrieks. “One Way Ticket” has a similar pace and sound, with a bit more leaning on the harrowing side of the genre. It never stops…it charges ahead at 100 miles and hour and never looks back. “Devil is on our Side” is even thicker, if that’s possible, and again, the gas pedal is pressed firmly to the floor. Through three songs so far, and this FWOBM inspired album isn’t offering much in the way of diversity, unfortunately. “Ukranian Thermopylae” is yet another uncompromising song that just lights the fuse and watches the world burn. The lack of diversity keeps things pure but doesn’t offer the listener variety.

“Mariupol” seems a continuation of many of the other songs, and it’s hard to tell them apart at this point. For those who know me, this is my number one complaint on any album review. “Coprophagus Empire” has a little change of pacing, in that it is a bit faster moving that the other songs, but again, it doesn’t distinguish itself from the other songs on the album. “Courage” closes the album, and the sound is nearly identical to the other songs. Overall, the band isn’t without talent, but you wouldn’t know it, because the album has eight songs that sound the same. The songs are frightening, but that’s all that the album has going for it. It’s hard to champion an album like this.