_ _______ _ ...:... _ _______ _ ___ / .:::::::::::. \ ___ | / .. (:::::::::::::) .. \ | | . .:::::.`:::::::::::'.:::::. . | | .::.. `:::.::':::`::.:::' ..::. | _ _______ | .::' ::::':::::`:::: `::. | _______ _ \\ | | :: `' ::':`:: `' :: | | // \ | | `:. .::' . `::. .:' | | / . | | .::::::..::::' ... `::::..::::::. | | . | | `:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' | | .... | | `:' `::::: :: :: :::::' `:' | | .... | ' | : `. ': :: :: :: :: :` .' : | ` | |.....: . .......: :: :: :: :: : ...... . : ....| . ...................: : :: :: :: :: : : ................. . _____________:_____________ _____________:_____________ _ ___\` __ /_\` _______/_\` __ _/_\` /___ _ // __ / (/ ___/ (/ _ (/ /_______/\ _ _ /_________ ___________ ______/\ _ ______________/\__/_ _ \\\\\_________\__/\_________\__/\_____/\_____/\____________/f3!/// - -\-\-----------\__/----------\__/-------\_____/---------------/-/- - - -------------------: : :. ..:: :: . :------------------ - : : :......: :: :` ': :: : .....: : : ___ _ | | : ` ' : | | _ ___ _\---------- : | -------- : B E R C : -------- | : ----------/_ /_\ . : . ..:.. ..:.. . : . /_\ /// . . : : . . \\\ /: :\ /:: Artist :: Hate Forest ::\ :: Album :: Purity :: :: Year :: 2021 :: :: __ _ _ __ :: -:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:- :: \ / :: :: . Genre :: Black Metal Source :: CDDA . :: :: Label :: Black Metal Store R.date :: 05.05.2022 :: _::__ Cat.nr. :: BMS044 Size :: 88,2 MB __::_ ::// \\:: ::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\:: :: :: /: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\ ..: Bitrate :: avg. 275kbps : . . Quality :: 44,1kHz/Joint-Stereo . . . Website :: __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: 01. Domination 05:55 :: :: 02. Elder Race 05:23 :: :: 03. The Gates 11:03 :: :: 04. Megaliths 02:33 :: :: 05. The Immortal Ones 11:25 :: :: 06. Desert of Ice 06:06 :: :: 07. Cromlech 02:12 :: :: ------- :: .. >> 44:37 min .. __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: :: :: Since the turn of the millennium, Roman Saenko from :: :: Kharkiv, Ukraine, has proven to be one of most gifted and :: :: prolific black metal musicians out there. His work with :: :: Drudkh is widely known, influential and amongst some of the :: :: best black metal ever conceived, though he's not been :: :: afraid to step out of said genre and experiment with Dark :: :: Ages, Old Silver Key and RattenfΣnger. Hate Forest (who'd :: :: later on morph into Blood of Kingu in '05) is however his :: :: oldest known band, which dates back to '95, but didn't :: :: release anything until '99 in the form of a demo tape :: :: titled, 'Scythia.' 'Purity,' the band's second full-length :: :: after numerous EPs and the debut, 'The Most Ancient Ones,' :: :: was released in '03, and although I haven't heard the bands :: :: other work, I'm not stopping short of calling this one a :: :: modern masterpiece. :: :: :: :: Hate Forest combines demented speedy tremolo riffing, :: :: merciless drum blasting akin to Immortal's, 'Battles In The :: :: North,' brief synth flourishes and deep gravely growled :: :: vocals quite unlike any I've heard before. Perhaps one of :: :: the albums most outstanding qualities is the relentless :: :: driving force behind this beast. Some short moments of :: :: ambiance are found, but largely the listener is assaulted :: :: with what feels like nearly forty four minute's of gapless :: :: nonstop commotion. The songs are not especially different :: :: though, but quite early on a hypnotic state is achieved :: :: through the highly atmospheric and dare I say dreamy riffs, :: :: percussive brutality and guttural roars. Personally I find :: :: my feet mimicking the double bass drums as I listen and :: :: become increasingly energized and possessed as the album :: :: continues. Interestingly adding to the atmosphere there :: :: seems to be a low end synth bit, that although not always :: :: audible, is there from time to time and naturally it :: :: increases the trance-like qualities during the more :: :: repetitive portions of the album. There's even bass guitar :: :: poking through now and again. :: :: :: :: 'Purity' is quite a fascinating record, especially :: :: considering that at its core its just high-speed raw black :: :: metal. Yet, I don't find the album to be particularly dark :: :: or evil in character, no, it has a rather glistening sort :: :: of essence that you'd likely find in some sort of epic or :: :: Viking metal themed band. It also easily creates the cover :: :: image perfectly; it doesn't take long before the snow :: :: covered forest appears, looking further ahead mountains :: :: high as the eye can see, followed by the... the unknown - :: :: this is simply stunning! :: :: :: :: As I said, this is my first venture with Hate Forest, but I :: :: look forward to getting my hands on their other records, as :: :: well as pretty much everything else Mr Saenko has :: :: associated himself with. :: :: :: :: . _ _ . :: \: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/ __\____ :: ____ ___\ _ / BERC : 2022 \ _ /___ ____ :: ____/__ \\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO/// \ :: :\-\___________\_ ___ / _ _/___________/-/: :: / :: | . . _ _ _/ __/ . \_ _ _ . . | :: : :::::::: | | \\\\\/ _______\____|\ \///// | | :::::::: : :: | | -\-\/____/-------------\____\/-/- | | :: :: | | \ :|: / | | :: : : | . ` ::: ' . | : : . . | : ::: : | . . | :::....:::....::: | : ::::::::::::::::: : . :::''``:::''``::: . : ::: : . ::: . .:. :