Poland’s seminal pioneers of darkness, HATE, have birthed their thirteenth album, “Bellum Regiis”.
Formed in 1990 and brandishing the perfect blend of blackened death metal, the band has been one of the longest-running Polish groups at the forefront of the underground. Now, with their thirteenth album, we see the band push their biggest musical effort within this newest album.
When the album’s opening track is the title track, you know HATE means business. With a soft, calming but also eerie clean guitar pick gently, and a female voice (Eliza Sacharczuk) echoing in the distance, the intensity begins to build before frontman ATF Sinner’s bellowing vocals set things off right. The band explodes into a frenzy of blasting and archaic power chords that give an angry punch sound.
The track is a full force showcase that HATE are here to mess around, & they are performing at their most extreme.
With a triumphant opening, “The Vanguard” with its horn intro section gives the track a very thematic feel. As the band begins, this track feels like a melding of some of the heaviest HATE material in the last few years. The drumming & a billion mph blasting by Nar-Sil is a true blasphemous assault on the ears. With this showcase of brutality, the chorus section of the track opens up & has great staying power. The track as a whole feels like some of the best writing the band have tackled for some time.
At the halfway mark, “Perun Rising” gives us a stomping anthem. This track is another example of HATE’s ability to write tracks that blur the line of the hooky, catchy elements of death metal with the darkness & atmosphere of black metal. The track’s opening sections, military-like drum tom hits & the spiralling guitar quickly build the structure of the song & feel.
As the song builds to its climax, the band stops on a dime & brings out the big guns with the said hooky riffage that grabs you straight away. Even with blasting sections, this track has that nice “mid-paced” feel to it. This is a classic style Morbid Angel track with the feel of, say, newer Behemoth or Emperor. A perfect mixture of barbaric yet beautiful.
Closing the album out, “Ageless Harp of Devilry” feels like the band has left their most barbaric & unrelenting for last. As the track begins, a wave of classic black metal strumming begins, but then starts to chug, merging this brutal, dark style track that is downright powerful. It’s also a real showcase of the tightest of the string sections of the band, ATF Sinner.
Domin & Tiermes on bass can keep this album so fresh, interesting & don’t linger too long in a section before it gets boring or stale. Their songwriting on this album has been top-notch. What moments they do choose to bring back are your favourites the first time you hear them, & get excited to hear again when they reintroduce them.
Little and good album. The last track has to be as strong as its opener, & a complete piece of work, “Bellum Regiis” feels like there is no wasted time, no extra fat, & is just raw & has a purpose. As a band this far into their career, you would think a band would start to slow down or run out of ways to push their songwriting, but not HATE. Their catalogue has only gone from strength to strength, & this is their THIRTEEN album still has so much to say & delivers material that most new bands could not even touch.
Review: Joseph Mitchell
Bellum Regiis is out via Metal Blade Records on 2nd May 2025
Bellum Regiis will be released on CD and digital formats as well as LP in the following color variants:
180g Black
Grey Marble
Silver Blackdust (Ltd. 300)
Gold Blackdust (Ltd. 200)
Black/White Splatter (US Exclusive Ltd. 350)
Find preorders at: https://eyesoremerch.com/
Bellum Regiis Track Listing:
1. Bellum Regiis
2. Iphigenia
3. The Vanguard
4. A Ghost Of Lost Delight
5. Rite Of Triglav
6. Perun Rising
7. Alfa Inferi Goddess Of War
8. Prophet Of Arkhen
9. Ageless Harp Of Devilry
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