When HATE released their debut album in 1996, it was far from obvious that they would develop into something special. “Demon Qui Fecit Terram” was a vicious first foray that exuded youthful vitriol and vigor. Like many young bands from Poland, HATE‘s blackened death metal was largely dedicated to ripping people’s heads off with brute force and insane speed. It was (and is) a great album, but one that gave few hints about the band’s potential.
Fortunately, heavy metal generally allows bands to evolve at their own pace. HATE‘s evolution has been gradual but determined, and their recorded output has continued to grow in size, scope and stature. There was nothing much wrong with earlier albums like “Awakening of the Liar” (2003) and “Anaclasis: A Haunting Gospel of Malice & Hatred” (2005) but founding frontman Adam Buszko has been relentless in his pursuit of something bigger and better, with every album — most notably in recent times — seeming more sophisticated and incisive than the last. Since signing with Metal Blade, HATE have been on majestic form. Both “Auric States of Veles” (2019) and “Rugia” (2021) garnered more attention and greater acclaim than many previous albums, and now “Bellum Regiis” (“A War Of Kings”) swoops down to pick off any remaining unbelievers.
With only BEHEMOTH and VADER outranking them in the Polish death metal hierarchy, HATE have every reason to sound confident and self-assured. But even by their own standards of grandeur and haughtiness, “Bellum Regiis” is a magnificently grandiose and grim sounding record. The viciousness of old is alive and kicking amid the ferocity of sprawling tracks like “A Ghost Of Lost Delight”. There are multiple scything death metal riffs woven into the fabric of HATE‘s overall sound, but here they explore the more expansive version of their sound, with more measured, atmospheric passages, neo-classical embellishments and ghostly choral ambience. On the BATHORY-like, frostbitten barrage of “Perun Rising”, Buszko‘s commanding polemic peppers the frontline like a grenade shower, waves of weaponized blastbeats and kick drums creating equal amounts of drama and destruction; while “Alfa Inferi Goddess Of War” is a mystic whirlwind of riffs and anthemic bluster, the missing link between IRON MAIDEN and NILE, and a very fine and finessed blend of death metal sub-strains.
Elsewhere, the opening title track and the already released “Iphigenia” are both immaculate examples of what HATE are conjuring in 2025: while still tethered to the classic Polish death metal fundamentals, Buszko‘s crew have grown into something far more individual and impressive, with conviction and authority in abundance. Final track “Ageless Harp Of Devilry” may be the best of the lot. Ash deathly tirade that shapeshifts its way from grim, old-school battery to treacly, machine-gun churn, a touch of prog metal weirdness colliding with stoically arcane elements and a ruthless ensemble performance.
There is a real swagger to “Bellum Regiis”. HATE are on blistering form and this is one of their finest records to date. That late career surge continues.
Source: blabbermouth.net
