Erik Rutan has been an inescapable presence on the extreme metal scene for the better part of 10 years. His first band, Ripping Corpse, never reached the level of success they truly deserved but they still managed to influence a legion of bands in the process. The guitarist then went on to join death metal headliners, Morbid Angel. His time in the band was short lived but his contributions were a kick in the ass to the band and reinvigorated them for future releases. Using his past experiences over the first half of his career, Rutan formed Hate Eternal where he would also act as the vocalist. After 3 well received albums of hyper-sped death metal, they return with a new collection that will satisfy their fan base and critics alike. Fury and Flames also marks the debut of a new line-up for the Florida gang.

Former Ripping Corpse and Dim Mak guitarist, Shaune Kelly comes in bringing with him his unorthodox style and vicious tones. Veteran Cannibal Corpse bassist, Alex Webster also has become an official member and his talents shine throughout. Completing the new changes is drum dynamo Jade Simonetto. I’m not sure where he came from but the guy is instantly in a league with Dave Witte (Municipal Waste), Derek Roddy (Today Is The Day) and Max Kolesne (Krisiun) with his work on this record. The double bass drum patterns have to be heard to be believed! Songs like “Whom Gods May Destroy” are relentless in their velocity and attack. Their earlier work wasn’t dissimilar but there is something definitely pushing the needle past the red on these songs. The frenzied tempos of songs like “Tombeau (Le Tombeau De La Fureur et Des Flammes)” must be taxing but with the level of musicianship the combo possesses, it must come off as a cakewalk for them. Attention must also be direct towards Rutan’s impeccable production work. He hasn’t become one of the premier producer/engineers in metal for nothing! This is an exhausting listening experience but one that truly pays off in the end. Once again, experience wins out.

Rating: 8/10
Label: Metal Blade Records
Website: http://www.myspace.com/haeteternal

by Carlos Ramirez

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 at 10:53 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Mirage wrote:

Fury And Flames absolutely blew me away. This is a “Death Metal Opera” Brutal and Furious the new Hate Eternal eternal lineup outdid themselves with this one. A True Death Metal Masterpiece.

February 25th, 2008 at 5:50 pm

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