Made Of Hate - Pathogen

Artist: Made Of Hate
Title: Pathogen
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Release Date: 27th August 2010
Label: AFM Records



Album Review

MADE OF HATE originally went under the moniker ARCHERON, but with so many other bands with the name, and more than likely a few Melodic Death Metal ones as well, the group decided to change their name to MADE OF HATE so they would stand out more. Unfortunately, their music doesn’t really convey the idea. One would think MADE OF HATE would be brutal and uncompromising, but instead they are fresh and very compromising in their sound. It sounds a bit like a more melodic BEHEMOTH, to be comparing bands due to the echoing vocal effects. Expect a lot of guitar solos in the vein of WINTERSUN and CHILDREN OF BODOM to wow the ears of listeners, and the vocals are a dual layered grunt and also low singing. However, that seems to be a bit of an issue. Instead of making MADE OF HATE seem unique, it makes them seem crudely poppy and radio friendly with their music. This doesn’t mean they are bad musicians, it just seems like they are reach out too much to compromise for a radio-friendly audience without developing any solid ground to stand on.

‘Pathogen’ is their latest offering and each track is a heavily melodic entrée that will definitely please listeners. Tracks like ‘Russian Roulette’ feature lots of excellent guitar work and layered vocals that echo like a whole war hall preparing for battle. The vocals are deep and grunting and carry lots of conviction, bearing towards a tone that suits more for Viking Metal than Melodic Death Metal. But, here they are, and they don’t ruin the music at all. Other tracks, like ‘False Flag’, are a bit more raw and experimental as far as the guitars go; one thing fans should know is MADE OF HATE really loves their guitar work; they overtake everything. The drums are usually buried by the distortion but when they can be heard they have enough depth to them to make one think a human is behind the kit. ‘I Can’t Believe’ has some great hooks and a catchy chorus; very possible this could be the first hit off the album. Then there’s ‘Questions’ which focuses on the “all-hearts-winning” chugging formula while adding extra distortion and thankfully giving enough space with the guitars for the drums to be heard every other note. It is possibly the only track that one can hear the drums clearly, and they do sound skilled and crushing… in the most melodic sense possible.

So what’s the issue then? Well, the entire album is good, but it’s the kind of good that seems restricted. Each song is overly melodic and styled in the same formula, which sadly takes away from the band’s ingenuity. Since their debut, MADE OF HATE could have done quite a bit in experimenting and creating a very diverse album that was still very accessible, and instead they made ‘Pathogen’ sound like about six different bands that are played on the midnight radio stations all the time such as AMON AMARTH, NIGHTRAGE, SANCTITY, DARKANE, and GRAVELAND. They may be enjoyable at first, but after a while one can begin to wonder if they’ll get any better. Fans who don’t mind easily accessible melodic death metal that isn’t as evolving as some of the Gothenburg bands like DARK TRANQUILLITY and replaces keyboards with interesting guitar effects and a hard rock vibe will love this over and over without getting bored too quickly.


Tracklist

01. Friend (5:00)
02. Russian Roulette (4:17)
03. You Departed (4:09)
04. I Can’t Believe (6:21)
05. Lock n’ Load (3:43)
06. Pathogen (5:31)
07. False Flag (4:16)
08. Questions (4:16)


Line-up

Michal Kostrzynski - Guitar, Vocals
Tomek Grochowski - Drums
Radek Polrolniczak - Guitar
Jarek Kajszczak - Bass


Website

http://www.madeofhate.net/


Cover Picture




Rating

Sound: 7
Music: 5
Total: 6 / 10


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