All Metal genres have two trenches: one with younger and modern elements, and the other is the Old School trench. The explanation of saying ‘to-give-continuity-to-others-works’ used to justify the second trench has no sense at all (no one needs a second CELTIC FROST, VENOM, MERCYFUL FATE, IRON MAIDEN or other, please), but it’s important to preserve old formats. They are useful, and some bands and musicians can breathe new life on it, as happens with the German quintet TOTAL HATE on “Forthcoming Age of the Reaper”, their latest full-length. Mattis Elvestuen (the Norwegian musician known as Malphas, who plays on CARPATHIAN FOREST and as live guitarist for URGEHAL) was hired to work on the recordings, mixing and mastering, and the result is a classic sonority with many features of classic Black Metal from the beginning of the Second Wave of the genre (as the gross and cutting-edge instrumental tunes), except for the fact that it’s defined and allows a deeper understanding of what’s being expressed by the band.

And what great artwork of Chris Orosz on graphics and layout, depicting what the music of the band means. After all these words, it’s clear that TOTAL HATE is a band that stands for classic Black Metal, so their music is into a model that is aligned with what was offered by bands as DARKTHRONE and MAYHEM during the rise of the Second Wave and MARDUK during the days of “Heaven Shall Burn… When We are Gathered”: fast and furious sometimes, morbid and sinister on other moments, but always full of hooking somber parts and very good instrumental technique (and very good lead guitars, as heard on “Looming Age of the Vermin King”). But pay attention to one feature: even playing with influences inherited from BATHORY, HELLHAMMER/CELTI FROST and others, they have a huge and aggressive personality printed on their songs. So be prepared to this spit of pure hate and darkness!

If you’re the fan that misses what Black Metal was at the beginning of the Second Wave, “Eternal Lust for Blood” (a fast song with very good rhythmic shifts and a very good work on bass guitar and drums), “Hailing the Falling Angels” (another fast song with classic elements, and insane instrumental parts supports charming shrieked tunes of the vocals), “Looming Age of the Vermin King” (a song filled with atmospheric slow tempos and catchy sinister ambiences created by excellent guitar riffs and a very good solo), “Burn with Your Prophet”, “Coldest Wrath” (another oppressive song with solid rhythms, and even a touch of Hardcore/D-Beat on some moments), “Djevelens Legioner” (some morbid melodies arises from the guitars’ arrangements to increase its somber appeal), “Death, Hate, Eradicate” (again influences of Hardcore/D-Beat are clearly heard), “Downfall of Tolerance” and “Field of Victory (The Final Return)” (a charming outro based on clean chords and drums) are charming songs that will allow your mind to journey to those glorious days. And to state what they’re up to, here is a personal version for “Dodsmarsj Til Helvete”, an old song of the Norwegian cult quartet URGEHAL.

If you’re a Black Metal fan that isn’t here for trends (what means that like all Black Metal subgenres and does not have need for ‘being real’), TOTAL HATE is the band you were looking for, and “Forthcoming Age of the Reaper” is a ‘must-have’ item.