There is something that strikes me as odd about HATESPHERE. When I first found them out it was about at the time they released 'The Sickness Within", I was really into THE HAUNTED back then and was looking for other European bands that did this kind mixture between modern Death and Thrash Metal and HATESPHERE's album came in a form of  a  blessing to me. Not only was it exactly the thing I have been looking for  back then, it was also quite a unique entity all on its own unlike other bands I tried back then who tried to do this kind of thing. Given the circumstances I had a hunch that HATESPHERE's next releases will slowly lead them to be pioneering in the front of modern Metal in the years to come. But I was wrong, dead wrong I might say...

While their siblings in their scenery, THE HAUNTED, dared to explore new realms of depth and musicianship as they progressed through the years. HATESPHERE never really budged an inch since 'The Sickness Within". Instead they have focused their energies on producing very calculated yet very shallow Metal injections with their next releases, and the new album 'The Great Bludgeoning" is no exception. To stay in a primal comfort zone isn't always a bad thing for a band but it was not what I have expected from them so the only way for me to treat this album fairly is in a very mechanical approach because technically speaking this release definitely does the trick.

All the songs in this album have been carefully constructed to be catchy and easy to listen to, and all the hooks, climaxes and choruses always come at the appropriate timing. When you break it down to the band members you can see how each of them contributes to this effort. It is especially noticeable in the guitar riffs whom I feel always fit like a glove to the nature of each song, even when the lead guitarist plays the solos they all feel like integral parts of the song and not like something that was forced in to show off or to fill in blanks. This is the downfall of many bands so I was very satisfied, beyond that the solos themselves are very rich with feel and the old school vibe they instill really makes the songs reach higher levels so I have to head it for the lead guitar player. The drum parts (though very predictable and unimaginative) also have an important role in this effort as they relentlessly push the songs forward and I have not encountered a single moment in this album that lacked energy, this must also be due to the excellent work of the drummer himself.

But having said all that, the very approach that they take towards their music is what bugs me, it feels to me like the idea behind their music is to create Metal albums that "work" and that can hit the spot for the mass audience instead of actually trying to express something meaningful with them, I felt that also in 'The Sickness Within" and it was fine back then but I had the distinct feeling they would climb to higher ground from there and that is why I am disappointed.

This notion is also strongly emphasized by the lyrics which I found to be childish, pointless, quite poorly written and full of clichés, and since I know the band isn't stupid I can only conclude that the reason for this setback is that there has been zero thought put into them in terms of meaning. To sum up I can say that this album is definitely recommended for fans of the band but if you, like me, look for depth and meaning in the music you listen to this album is very redundant.