History
Hate Eternal was former ripping Corpse and then current Morbid Angel guitarist Erik Rutan's other death metal band. The Florida act started life parading names like Cannibal Corpse's Alex Webster on bass and former Suffocation man Doug Cerrito on guitar. Ironically, Anderson would later fill in for Steve Tucker in Morbid Angel.
Following the debut, the band would tour Europe with God Dethroned and Cannibal Corpse. The band would later support Cannibal Corpse in North America on a bill also featuring Macabre and Cattle Decapitation. By this point Hate Eternal had become Rutan's priority and the guitarist announced his departure from Morbid Angel in late summer of 2002.
2003 would be eventful for the American death metal mob. Anderson would vacate his post to seek treatment for drug addiction. Rutan would be injured in a car accident on tour in March while on tour with Dying Fetus and Kataklysm. Two tours would follow, nevertheless, in the autumn of 2003. One would be as openers for Arch Enemy in North America and the other as openers for Hatebreed on a hardcore bill on the same continent. Randy Piro, who had filled in for Anderson for months, would take the latter's place on bass and backing vocals. Piro was formerly of The Council Of The Fallen.
Following the release of I, Monarch, in the spring of 2005 the band added second guitarist Eric Hersemann (ex-Diabolic and ex-Lord Blasphemer) to the line-up. Drummer Derek Roddy abruptly left the band in March, 2006 after complaining about a lack of income and was quickly replaced by Kevin Talley. Roddy, oddly enough, joined Today Is The Day a year later. The trio toured with God Forbid and Arch Enemy. Rutan also found the time to re-enter Morbid Angel in the summer of 2006, thus completing the band’s most successful line-up with David Vincent. Cannibal Corpse’s bassist, Alex Webster, was drafted to appear on Hate Eternal’s newest album in 2007. Webster was in fact returning to Hate Eternal and was replacing Randy Piro Jr. A new album was expected in late autumn. Shaune Kelley, who at one time was in Ripping Corpse with Erik Rutan, joined the band in the summer of 2007. The follow-up to 2005’s release I, Monarch was called Fury And Flames and was out at the beginning of 2008.
Reviews
HATE ETERNAL - KING OF ALL KINGS - EARACHE
King Of All Kings, the second album of former Morbid Angel guitarist Erik Rutan's Hate Eternal, is an album that makes the death metal genre proud. King Of All Kings features a new line-up. Gone is former Suffocation guitarist Cerrito and in is drum nomad Derek Roddy. What remains eternal is the full-force power and blasting. The trio comes together as one to restore the faith to the much denigrated death metal genre. In fact, Hate Eternal evades the doldrums that has befallen Morbid Angel as of late and keeps up the barrage of speed. Where King Of All Kings comes across as less majestic is in the sound and production departments. Produced by Rutan and at his own Mana Recording Studio, the new album is reminiscent of the recent and Rutan-produced Pessimist album in that the sound is moderately muffled and the guitars less sharp than ideal. Rutan needs to give the sound more of an edge. Having said that, King Of All Kings will remove the skin off many lesser mortals and a good suggestion for fans of real death metal.
HATE ETERNAL - I, MONARCH - EARACHE
I, reviewer have to remain resolute in my regard for Erik Rutan for maintaining his extremist views of music after all these. Hate Eternal's new album is one hell of a rabid death metal volume with the familiar speed accelerations one expects from the man and his cohorts. The vocals breathe guttural sewage, convey diabolical connotation and spur hatred without fail. The guitars play fiddle with your sanity and the drums of Derek Roddy blast away with enough horse power to lift three Alabama girls from their stools (that's 630 kilos right there). The solos are substantial and well incorporated.
That is not the whole story though. The band slows down to catch its breath from time to time, on the title track or the closing instrumental for example, and introduces syncopated riffing and spurtive chord progressions into the mix. On the down side, Rutan still does not know how to produce drums and manages what should have rightly been the grand hallmark of the band into a humdrum (pun intended) affair given the powerless bass drums and muddy snare and toms. Unfortunately, this is a trademark of Rutan and a pattern repeated with most bands he produces.
To sum though, Hate Eternal is one of the increasingly rare bands that emphasizes the speed element and true death metal over factors of the wimp and the so-called 'melodic death metal' thing prevalent nowadays. Having the benefit of the presence of experienced musicians also adds to the appeal of the Florida trio. Fans of the band's other albums, late '90s Morbid Angel and reliably fast death metal can call themselves king. - Ali "The Metallian"
Interviews
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