Kings Of All Kings

King of All Kings follows closely in the footsteps of its predecessor, the unremittingly sinister 1999 opus Conquering the Throne. As the title suggests, this recording was a continuation of the thematic elements which appeared throughout Hate Eternal's debut, pummeling through ten brutal cuts of extreme grind/metal while saluting all that which is evil. It came as a great surprise that founding member Erik Rutan announced his departure from death metal luminaries Morbid Angel in order to focus his complete attention on Hate Eternal, yet understandable considering King of All Kings not only boasts his skilled guitar work and guttural vocals, but also his very own production. Rutan enlisted Derek Roddy, known for his work as part of Nile and Fallen, as well as bassist Jared Anderson, who also accompanies Rutan on backing vocals. Roddy wears the nickname "One Take" for a reason, and the relentless blastbeats found on King of All Kings provide the explanation -- it would be close to impossible to duplicate the carnage captured here. Much like Conquering the Throne, King of All Kings is held back by the overwhelming similarities between each and every song contained within, yet the crisp production aids in lifting Hate Eternal above the flock of interchangeable clones who swamp the death metal scene. Despite its weaknesses, it is evident that Rutan and company are slowly striding forth with their own signature sound, and now that Hate Eternal is Erik Rutan's main focus, one should expect even more grandiose grindcore on future releases. ~ Jason D. Taylor|