Ever since their first demo cassette in 1998, German-based death metal band My Darkest Hate has been dwelling in their respective underground scene for a while, and from what I've researched, they've never really made it out. A reason why that may be is that they've slowed down to putting out one album every ten years. They've broken their pattern of decade-long breaks with their LP "Rust and Bones," released via Massacre Records in 2025. Granted, it didn't take the usual amount of time for My Darkest Hate to put out this album, but it still took nine years. Either this record is worth the wait, or they just spent a really long time designing the album cover - pretty cool, by the way.

The standard practice of fan-servicing a couple of tracks continues with the band. If you were waiting patiently for My Darkest Hate's new album, and you listened to their first single, "Rust," you'd be pumped. The brutal introduction starts with "THIS. IS. RUST!!" A devilish start to things. The track is a slower-paced death metal song with chunky riffs and persistent drumming that work together pleasantly. While the lyrics don't deliver the most thought-provoking messages, you can't help but chant along to the chorus that repeats the bombastic intro. The song isn't anything that's never been done before, but it's a bit catchy, so it's saved from being thrown into the bin. The second single sadly has less going for it besides some impressive vocal work and a melody that's immediately easy to grasp. If I were to be blindfolded and presented these two songs with no other information, I'd most likely forget them the next day. No fault to them, it's just that this is labeled as a death metal record, and that is exactly what is going on - there's no experimentation, no boundaries being pushed, just straightforward and typical music for its genre.

"Vengeance My Brother" displays every stereotypical death metal attribute, but there's room for the rumbling bass and riffs that actually take their time playing, instead of trying to cram a hundred of them for "brutality." "Deceiver" definitely has some groove to it, but the song ends pretty quick, so the time to enjoy it is limited. "Sinister Warfare" sure does sound sinister, with a crunchy, soaring solo and solid playing from all other instruments. This is one of, if not the best songs on the album. The band seemed to connect with each other a lot more during this song. "He Who Never Sleeps" is not a reference to me, as this album is growing a little old. Hilariously, the track has very little energy compared to its predecessors. When singles are thrown into the mix, the project is halfway done now, and I'm pretty bored with "Rust and Bone," standouts aside.

Besides the first single's opener, one moment that thankfully caught my attention was the unveiling of My Darkest Hate's mother tongue, German. I was literally praying for some non-English lyrics, as I love hearing music in different languages. I don't know if this is because the song is in German, but this track had the most technical and likable delivery of the entire project. "King of Slaves" unfortunately reverts back to English, but the down-tuned guitars sounded extra low, exuding an evil feel that I quite liked."From Ruins I Rise" and "Our Legion, Our Pride" are definitely filler tracks - no standouts whatsoever.

Perhaps I was a little harsh on "Rust and Bones." Even though this is an album that offers no experimentation and no (this sounds mean) originality, this would be a sure pick for someone trying to get into heavier metal genres for many reasons: enunciated gutturals, safe lyrics, and songs with a medium pace and digestible lengths. "Rust and Bones" will do little for listeners who've adapted to harsher metal, but it will do great for new, adventurous music lovers like I once was.