HATE - Auric Gates of Veles - [2019] - Album Review by NPH - Rate 10/10

HATE
COUNTRY: POLAND
GENRE: DEATH BLACK METAL
ALBUM REVIEW: AURIC GATES OF VELES [2019]


Cover Art by Andrzej Masianis | Layout by Daniel Rusiłowicz

HATE - "AURIC GATES OF VELES" - 2019 | Tracklist:
1. Seventh Manvantara
2. Triskhelion
3. The Volga's Veins
4. Sovereign Sanctity
5. Path to Arkhen
6. Auric Gates of Veles
7. Salve Ignis
8. Generation Sulphur
9. In the Shrine of Veles (Pre-Production) *ltd. digi bonus track
10. Path to Arkhen (Pre-Production) *ltd. digi bonus track

[Release Date: 2019-06-14]

ORDER CD, LP & MERCH:
www.metalblade.com/hate 

RECORDING LINEUP:
Hate line-up:
ATF Sinner - vocals, guitars
Pavulon - drums
Tiermes - bass (session)
Domin - guitar (session)

PRODUCTION:
The album was produced by Wiesławski brothers at Hertz Studio, Poland (Behemoth, Vader, Decapitated, etc).



HATE - Auric Gates of Veles - 2019 - Metal Blade Records
Genre: Black Death Metal

"(...)You took my soul from me
No man's child born of evil blood
In wolf's skin
In silence enshrined through time
I chase the wind
To the purest of winters
There I'll find my fate
Where no gods ever dare to tread
Where death is all mine(...)" | HATE | Auric Gares of Veles

THE BAND AND NEW ALBUM:

Poland death black metal titans HATE have unleashed their eleventh original full-length album entitled "Auric Gates of Veles", one of the bands most vicious, barbaric and addictive pieces to the date.
Extreme metal veterans HATE have been one of the biggest influence over the forming of Polish metal scene back in the nineties. HATE have brought to us death black metal classics such as "Awakening of the Liar", "Anaclasis (...)", "Erebos", "Solarflesh (...)" and now has returned with one of their most mature, direct and solid creation to the date.
Living up to their name, the band has recreated their sound and forged one of their most aggressive and ruthless death black metal pieces of art we heard in the last years!
"Auric Gates of Veles" is a masterpiece that combines enriching Slavic lore and mysticism to the bands already demolishing sound. A perfect combination of dark aspects of the mystic and arcane Slavonic folklore with death metal scorching sound, something not so common on this metal genre!

HATE has never refused to take their sound to the next level and what the band has done over "Auric Gates of Veles" really takes them beyond the gates of recognition and puts them as one of the highest representations of what is being done on metal realms of extremity! Being one of the most innovative bands out there, HATE have gone deeper musically and lyrically into the Slavic lore to bring fourth one of their best albums of the last years if not career!
No wonder the interest of one of Metal strongest labels (Metal Blade Records) on the band, which was an explicit sign of recognition of musical excellence!
"Auric Gates of Veles" is a clearer and natural step forwards to the band's previous release "Tremendum", a new ritual enriched with dark mysticism that adds to the enraging death metal sound the right dose of blackness and arcane magic. Still one thing I assure you... expect no softness on this new album, "Auric Gates of Veles" may take the old fans of HATE back in time and remind them of the ruthless "Awakening of the Liar" release which was a milestone on the band's storied career. Expect no other but a wall of sonic destruction combined with some dark ambient elements in the background in order to enhance the whole cult mystic blackness. A true majestic piece of death metal devastation combined with a slight black metal ancient ritualistic atmosphere!

The final studio work at Hertz Studio (Behemoth, Vader, Decapitated, etc) by Wiesławski brothers together with the band is about brilliant as it was to be expected, the impressive final sound is as organic as dynamic, giving in this way the best sound definition to the whole piece... another amazing work to come out of that studio!
The cover art and logo revamp by Andrzej Masianis as well as the layout by Daniel Rusiłowicz give the whole band concept of Slavic lore the right visual presentation... primordial, epic and ethereal art!


TRACK-BY-TRACK:

"Auric Gates of Veles" is a colossal piece of extreme metal, both organic and dynamic sounding from the beginning to it's end. This album takes the band back into it's death metal roots and unleashes some of the most aggressive pieces the band has created to the date. There is no lesser amazing track on this album, I think the whole piece is about brilliant and astonishing, as a fan of the band since early times I must say that this is most probably one of HATE's best albums to the date, this since vicious death metal combined with slight black metal elements is music for my ears, for me it's the mark of extreme metal perfection!

Out from mystical Slavic darkness comes the opening track "Seventh Manvantara", a blasting savage piece that heralds what is to come, this is such an intense and breath-taking song, without a doubt one of my personal favourite tracks of this masterpiece of death black metal.
The tortured ears are hit with no mercy by the following ferocious track "Triskhelion", which is another merciless song as brutal as addictive, another of my favourite tracks that shall leave you breathless.
"The Volga's Veins" follows, this is another excellent vicious track enriched with a dark pagan melodic atmosphere, another barbarous massacre for your morbid delight!
"Sovereign Sanctity" which is arguably the album centrepiece is another of my own personal favourite tracks, a daring epic anthem that will strike you down like a mighty heathen thunder and capture your full attention, here the harsh ritualistic black metal elements enrich the whole song and keep you captive to this Slavonic transcendental dark universe.
"Path to Arkhen" ignites once again the flames of pagan fire and unleash hell on Earth on another brilliant and frenetic haunting track. Death black metal can't get much better than this I dare to say!
The enigmatic title track "Auric Gates of Veles" with it's haunting sinister atmosphere slows down the pulse and raises in a crushing tension. Become part of this dark ritual of fire an death!
"Salve Ignis" follows, and with it "all hell breaks loose" once again, this is an apocalyptic tragic sounding track with such a scorching sinister surrounding! An ominous bringer of doom!
“Generation Sulphur” concludes this piece of art with a rawer black metal approach, another blazing fast track that brings out Armageddon upon the tormented listeners!
As bonus tracks we have the two pre-production songs that HATE recorded before they hit Hertz Studio to record this piece of death black metal art, "In the Shrine of Veles" is another frenetic fast track that already proved the band's intentions toward this new album, rawer, barbaric and solid as a rock! "Path to Arkhen" pre-production is a rawer version of the final product, yet the bass lines where quite impressive on this pre-production! In fact such a strong track deserved to be part of the final work... a prize for such epic brutality!

THE CONCLUSION:

"Auric Gates of Veles" is one of the best and most direct creations of HATE to the date, the mystic enriching Slavonic lore combined with some of the most demolishing death metal viciousness is about perfect. The band takes their listeners back to their roots, not only musically but also to their ancient lands traditions and beliefs, making you to see through the eyes of the pagan Slavic culture!
"Auric Gates of Veles" is a both titanic and enriching death black metal experience that puts the band where they sure belong... which is on top of what is being done on today's extreme metal sphere, toe-to-toe with bands like Behemoth, Vader, Dimmu Borgir, etc...
Expect no softness, expect no blinding light, "Auric Gates of Veles" is some of HATE's most enraging dark pieces to the date... there is no retreat, no surrender... HATE IS THE LAW!

RüPä - NeKronos Promotion HELL

RATE: 10/10


VIDEOS:

"Sovereign Sanctity": Videoclip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfM0PpXMAFA



"Seventh Manvantara": Audio clip:
https://youtu.be/evnDhT59SAY




MORE INFO ON HATE ON THE FOLLOWING LINKS:
OFFICIAL SITE: HTTP://WWW.HATE-METAL.COM 
YOUTUBE CHANNEL: HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/HATEPOLAND 
FACEBOOK PROFILE: HTTP://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/HATEOFFICIAL 

BOOKING / CONTACT:
THE FLAMING ARTS AGENCY
info@theflamingarts.eu