HATH is a progressive blackened death metal band from New Jersey that formed in 2014. "All That Was Promised," is their second full length album; they also have an EP. I reviewed their full length debut, 2019's "Of Rot And Ruin," and walked away impressed with their approach to the style. "All That Was Promised," has managed to surpass the already high bar they set for themselves. In every conceivable way possible, the band has improved their craft across the musical board. This album represents a band who, in the span of just a couple of years, has grown tighter and even more comfortable with who they are and the goals that come along with it.

Although the prog infused song writing keeps each song fresh, with each track a many epic unto itself, their overall sound is brutal and uncompromising.  Their landscape covers the extremes of both death and black metal pretty damn seamlessly. With that being said, the music does keep you guessing. It isn't ever too far off the mark and always stays rather extreme but every moment is a renewal of exciting energies. "A Million Violations," has a sick guitar tone-oppressive but open enough for the rhythm section of bass and drums to be heard through the murky, dissonant dirge. When the vocals come in, the band moves as one big moving wheel with a sound that just grinds on. The guitars change up the approach often enough where the song is always providing a new challenge but never too much at the point where it all becomes pointless. The song's bridge is an odd but wonderful section with unique drumming and riffs that build back up into chaos once more. This movement is straight up heavy and the adjoining section is a musical hurricane before the bass takes over, boosting up the growls as the band comes together once more.

"Lithopaedic," rages quickly after an ambient style intro. The main riff is chunky with bursts of speed in between for a tumultuous effect.  The song is rise, rise, rise until the 2:28 mark when a harrowing scream cries out and the song shuts down like a light suddenly goes out. Then it explodes, music destruction rippling across the dark waters. The drums provide fuel to the fire as the song pushes past its own boundaries and comes out the other side with crushing rhythmic prowess. "Death Complex" is immediately a towering monument of sound. The blackened guitars are sinister as hell and bring with them the promise of endless visions of viciousness. The last minute and a half is truly special. The guitar solo slams its way through, half melodic and half virtuosity. I love the way it winds down as the song winds up, each part melding into the other one and becoming something stronger.

"Casting Of The Self" is up next and is built over the course of a two minute intro that goes from clean to heavy and back around again before the vocals kick in around the 2:02 mark. The song pushes and pummels, propelled by its own force of will. Just when the band can't go any harder, they do anyway.  The cleans in the later half of the song are very well done, adding catchy moments and a touch of class. "Name Them Yet Build No Monument," is the best song on the album--an expansive journey that ends the album on a truly perfect note. The vocals are vomited forth, matched only in intensity by the drums and bass. The riffs move over this foundation with sterling resolve and focus but near impossible fluidity. The last two minutes or so acts as a built in clean outro that finally lets you catch the breathe that was lost on track one. But the clean melodies and skillful composition makes it just as intricate and interesting as the heavier stuff.

HATH is quite unstoppable now. They deserve to be huge and "All That Was Promised" is all the proof needed to make that statement a fact.