The Hate Colony - Ascending

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The modern Death Metal scene is slowly becoming more stereotypical and unoriginal. However, I do find some nice bands under this category. I regard such bands as “feel good” bands, as I don't expect much technicality or complexity from them, just some memorable and catchy passages to enjoy the album. I consider THE HATE COLONY  to be amongs the foretold category. With a promising album such as “Ascending” released this year, I hope the band is all set to take modern Metal by storm.

Intro track “Ghost of Damnation” shows off multiple influences. The song bursts off with a typical Death Metal groove and by the time the song reaches a minute or so, the groove just breaks out into a simple yet catchy breakdown. The vocals are done perfectly and the instrumentation is a success, yet I was still hoping for more Death Metal solos or a technical lick or something. However, it is what it is. The song is a catchy one and I guess it probably is one amongs the best ones on this album.

The Melodic approach of the band is truly exemplary yet a bit unoriginal, as the grooves and transitions seem a bit cliche and repetitive. Nevertheless, there are some songs that highlight the positives of this album; one of them is “Intermezzo” - a 2:30-minute song that showcases some of the well-crafted melodies on this album. It is truly a magnificent song to start a fiery and brutal track like “Undertaker”. The Deathcore-ish influences are clear and their “Whitechapel” worship is quite evident. I never thought that I would find a catchy solo on this album but I got about two of them, one from “Dead Man Walking” and another one from “Self Inflicted”.

Overall, I find “Ascending” as a mere success compared to my expectations. However, the album will most certainly keep a Melodic Death Metal fan happy as it is close-enough to being a blend of “The Black Dahlia Murder” and “In Flames” with added Electronic influences. That being said, the album is good enough to keep the band on a roll for more fans.

Songwriting: 7
Originality: 8
Memorability: 8
Production: 8