Review Summary: Morphosis: where riffs flow like sweet wine
Hate is a blackened death metal band hailing from Warsaw, Poland. Although starting on shaky ground, this quartet welcomed the 21st century with a slew of sensational extreme metal fare. Leaning into their strengths of riff-driven songwriting and stellar musicianship, the band earned their rightful place alongside contemporaries Behemoth, Decapitated, and Vader. Yet, while not as widely known, this release proves Hate is not only just as talented, but arguably more deserving of acclaim. Emboldened by a barrage of undulating riffs, dark melodies and fierce drumming, "Morphosis" is a testament to the power of extreme metal and bold perseverance.
Love it as I may, I find extreme metal can often be monotonous. Bands who strictly adhere to genre tropes can grow redundant and the tracks blur into a brutal porous whirlwind. Fortunately, Hate deploy the tactics of black and death metal with such vigor and style that every piece feels unique. Industrial soundbytes beckon sweeping guitar leads as the record launches into the reeling cosmic universe of "Threnody". It's a punchy, yet anthemic tune full of depth across every performance. This leads me to one of the greatest features of the album: the RIFFS! The phrasing beneath the blastbeats and samples keep us guessing, yet never leave a hook unfulfilled. From start to finish, Adam and Konrad play with a diverse range of attack, ripping seamlessly between gruesome chugs, frantic tremolos, dissonant chords, big anthemic refrains and technical solos. The arrangements also enshroud Adam's vocals as he belts every line with the utmost grisly flair.
Although each track stands on it's own, this record's crowing achievement comes in the one-two punch of "Catharsis" and "Resurrection Machine". Both of these songs are among Hate's greatest works and illuminate what makes this band so special. The technical guitar licks rip between Stanislaw's steady blasts and rolling kicks as Adam roars the refrain:
"Cease to oppose us!
Cease to oppose us!
Each second in torment together we bleed
Cease to oppose us!
Cease to oppose us!
Now that you can see the truth behind the deceit"
It's an iconic, utterly badass metal moment that's sure to get your grimace going. This is just one among many key hooks you can find in this record. "Resurrection Machine" takes a slightly different, yet equally effective approach, opting instead for a more mechanized sound. The interplay between the galloping attack of the guitars and Stanislaw's impeccable footwork make this track beyond incredible. You could even draw comparisons to Fear Factory, with subtle synth stabs and machine-like precision crafting a highly foreboding atmosphere. It's just a headbang-inducing slab of metal that takes you on a journey you can't help but love. "Erased" is another fine example of songwriting ability, which slows the pace to close the album through arpeggiating black metal gusto.
In all, "Morphosis" is a fantastic blackened death metal record that will please metalheads everywhere. It's a highly mature work performed by highly capable musicians, leaving very little room for improvement. I would encourage anyone with reservations about the genre to at least give "Resurrection Machine" a try. If that doesn't strike your fancy, frankly I don't know what will. Thank you for reading and stay metal everyone m/
