Artist: Hatred
Label: SAOL
Release: 2010
Length: 50:41
Rating: 3/5
Old-school thrash metal is clawing its way back to its rightful place in the world. New bands are popping up like mushrooms after rain. The German band Hatred is no newcomer to the new thrash metal wave, and what they play is nothing new. The old Bay Area Thrash bands played the same stuff, and so did the legendary German thrash bands like Kreator, Destruction and Tankard. But Hatred took the music of their influences and wanted to do something new with it. They wanted some variety. Still, at the end of the day, it’s thrash metal with an old-school aftertaste. You’ve got to give them that.
The new album, called Destruction Manual, was released on the German label SAOL. The album oozes the aggression of German thrash and can hold its own against its American rivals. Bands like Hatred don’t just need dynamic music. They’ve got to be nasty and, every now and then, wear their influences on their sleeve. In short… the power of Destruction Manual can be heard on every album by every thrash band of the modern scene. On Hatred’s local scene you can also find similarities hiding behind names like Cripper and Hatchery. The two factors responsible for this better-than-average release are the production and the attempt at variety in the compositions.
In a way, the production, which pulls elements from the ’80s and mixes them with modern sounds, could be covering up a lack of melody. The album itself manages to distract you from that detail. Still, there are some variations you could even call melodies. Hatred tried to pull that off with ’80s harmonies backed by heavy, devastating riffs. If you want torture and chaos, put on ”Smash ‘Em” and ”Moshpit Ritual”. For thrash anthems, there’s ”Metal Bastards”, ”Submission Of The Uncontrolled” and ”United”. And if you just want to have a good time with a drink in your hand, ”Franconian Speed” is made for you.
If you’re a fan of bands like Exodus, Destruction, Kreator, Evile, Bonded By Blood and the rest of the new-era thrash crowd, you deserve a kick from Destruction Manual, the new album from the quintet Hatred. Maybe it’s nothing new, but it’s still gnarly, raw and, in its own way, pretty charming. As Glenn Danzig put it:” For some, metal is Motörhead, for others it’s Judas Priest”. For new-school thrash fans, it can be Hatred too.
This review was put together in collaboration between Rock Hard Slovenija and Rockline.
Lineup
Bacchus – vocals
Maddin – guitar
Kört – guitar
Hudson – bass
Evil Ewald – drums
Production
Michael Kropp
Tracklist
1. United
2. Ratter Of Hell
3. Run Amok
4. Black Sun Prophecy
5. Moshpit Ritual
6. Porker’s Revenge
7. Submission Of The Uncontrolled
8. Speak Of The Devil
9. Metal Bastards
10. Smash ‘Em
11. Franconian Speed
