### My Darkest Hate: Combat area

#### 19/08/09 || Habakuk

Mid-paced, war-themed, crushing death metal? I think that combination is a first. Anyway, if it comes from a band that has been around for a while and actually knows their shit, count me in. At the time of writing, these guys have produced four more than decent albums so far, with this 2006 output being the most current one. Why does nobody know about this, you ask? Well, probably because My Darkest Hate picked a name that sounds like midpaced, emotionally-themed, whiny screamo, and at the same time they stem more or less from a power metal background, formed by members of Sacred Steel and Primal Fear and everything. Obviously not even their not-so-subtle album titles help, but it wouldn’t be the first time that it requires a GD review to make a band skyrocket to stadium-filling international fame.

So, rest assured, this has nothing to do with power metal or anything *–mo, instead we deal with ultra-deep growls, a mean-as-fuck production (thanks, Andy Classen), buzzsaw guitars supplied with extra low-end by the accompanying bass and really, really tight drumming courtesy of Klaus Sperling, Primal Fear. It’s in fact so exact and Sperling’s style is so very clean that it almost sounds mechanical, but nothing suits a well-oiled war machine like this better than a solid, steady engine. My Darkest Hate rely more on the crushing force that their riff-driven songs conjure than on speed, and thanks to their precise execution it’s hard not to get into a robotic headbanging motion when ordered to “Bow before me” or “Enter combat”. They do use some blast beats, but these are only a minor part of their overall sound to spice up the constant double-bass barrage. The blast parts are far, far away from frantic Mick Harris-style monkey-mania, instead they pretty much resemble full speed marching music by basically synchronizing guitar and drum parts. As a result, everything has a clear structure to it and it feels like the band is always in control of what’s happening.

Now if you only like your death metal chaotic, you will probably find this pretty boring, and I admit that this is nothing that I spin day in, day out, or feel urged to witness in a live situation. However, the material on here is quite catchy and there are a couple of very strong songs, so that it still finds its way into my CD player more or less regularly three years after I’ve bought it. Weaknesses? A couple of high screams might sound a bit out of place, and also this is not exactly innovative stuff. Arguably, that never was what the guys aimed for though, and I think I can live with that. Innovation must die.

- Information
- Released: 2006
- Label: Massacre Records
- Website: www.mydarkesthate.de
- Band
- Chris Simper: vocals
- Jörg M. Knittel: guitars
- Oliver Grosshans: guitars
- Oliver Schort: bass
- Klaus Sperling: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Enter combat
- 02. When smoke has settled
- 03. Bow before me
- 04. Nothing lasts forever
- 05. They shall fall
- 06. Number seven
- 07. Fall of Eden
- 08. Under my wing
- 09. The principle of war
- 10. Under one flag