This little slab of old school death metal was originally released in 1998 on the Season of Mist label, but it's now being remastered & reissued on vinyl by Kaotoxin Records' sub-label KaosKvlt for general consumption once again. As Anata are a Swedish band, comparisons to At the Gates and Dark Tranquility are inevitable, but the band were also incorporating elements of the US technical death metal scene, especially Morbid Angel, Death, Suffocation, and Cannibal Corpse, making The Infernal Depths of Hatred somewhat of a minor extreme metal classic. "Let the Heavens Hate" rages along with melodic death metal ferocity but also contains some pretty spectacular, somewhat technical riffing, while both "Released When You Are Dead" and "Under Azure Skies" just pummel with classic extreme metal ferocity, the drums blasting, the growls deafening, and the guitar work crushing. The band weren't opposed to also dropping in the occasional Opeth styled proggy bit, which helps add some depth in spots, but for the most part it's full throttle death metal, tunes like "Slain Upon His Alter", "Vast Lands / Infernal Gates", and "Those Who Lick the Wounds of Christ" menacing and quite brutal, yet with an element of sophistication that you didn't always hear from death metal acts of that era. To top it all off, the band even threw in a cover of Morbid Angel's classic "Day of Suffering", and it's a blistering rendition to say the least.
Sound quality throughout is stellar, giving this forgotten gem the clarity it always deserved. For all the vinyl hounds out there who either would like an upgrade or perhaps would be investigating The Infernal Depths of Hatred for the first time, here's your opportunity.
Track Listing
1. Released When You Are Dead
2. Let the Heavens Hate
3. Under Azure Skies
4. Vast Lands / Infernal Gates
5. Slain Upon His Altar
6. Those Who Lick the Wounds of Christ
7. Dethrone the Hypocrites
8. Aim Not at the Kingdom High
9. Day of Suffering [Morbid Angel cover]
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