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1. To the Nines
2. Backstabber
3. Cloaked in shit
4. Clarity
5. Even if it kills me
6. Commencing a Campaign
7. The Writing's on the Wall
8. In the Trenches
9. Aurora
10. Oceans of Blood

Jonathan "Joller" Albrechtsen - Vocals

Peter "Pepe" Lyse Hansen - Guitar

Mixen Lindberg - Bass

Dennis Buhl - Drums

Jakob Nyholm - Guitar

HATESPHERE: "To the Nines"   hatesphere            

http://www.youtube.com/user/HateSphere999 

Recorded at Antfarm and Feedback Studios  in Aarhus, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, GOREFEST).

release dates are as follows:
23.03 – Denmark
25.03 – Finland & Spain
27.03 – GSA, Benelux, Sweden, France, Italy
30.03 – Europe
07.04 – North America
Japanese release date will be announced shortly.

preview  by dalia "gryphon_spirit" di giacomo ___          

The copying and/or reproduction for any purpose whatsoever of the content of the present review, in whole or in part,  is strictly forbidden without giving credits.

Inborn rapacity.

Rapid brutal uptempo-attacks and lots of unpredictable hooklines and melodic inserts ensure the brilliant quality of this new album from the Danish myth Hatesphere. A magnificent step forward for the band around Peter "Pepe" Hansen. 

Listening to "To the Nines" offers immediate gratification and not rare are the wow effects or, at least, the presence of such phrases that sharpen your attention and make you exclaim "oh cool what is this, let's us hear again!!": example for this can be the track number 3 Cloaked in Shit or the outstanding Clarity. Starting  bloodthirsty , with the very interesting title track To the Nines and the subsequent intense Backstabber, the album then confirms to be forged in implacable Thrash riffs that convey the light of harmonic and melodic  disruptions. This is to say that the composition is valid and intense. The raw and aggressive  vocals of the new frontman Joller Albrechtsen perfectly meet and hold the instrumental conflagration. Surely drums add something to the sound with balance between  bass drums, classic snare and measured meaningful cymbals. The production, under the control of Tue Madsen, emphasizes the clearness ( and also coldness) of the sound, which may be the only questionable point: the music in spite all its aggressiveness and brutality appear often "cold" 

One of the best features of this cd is the accurate action of the instruments and the constant high tension of the soundscape which, anyway, result natural, self-generating, with inborn rapacity. "To the Nines" is unbroken propulsion, unbroken energy. The bass lines build everlasting platforms where the cruel guitars can unleash all their abilities, from neckbreaking assaults to melodic leads, as in The writing's on the Wall.  Clarity is another memorable grenade that delivers all what a metalheart desires. Clarity is warrior, headbanging monster and vicious in melody at the same time, a true pleasure of killing hooks, metal technique and adrenergic vocals. 

An epic intro feeling is offered by  the short instrumental Commence a Campaign, which leads to The writing's on the Wall which is monumental and a kind of "summa" of the whole work, a bit more than 3 minutes full of enraged thrash tempos:  bonebreaking and melodic death metal oriented, an atomic explosion of moshing delirium, that surpasses even songs of very known Swedish bands. 

In the Trenches is marked by typical American soloing and phrasing, nonetheless is the only song i personally don't like. Aurora is pure attack for letting the pit go crazy, yet has varied pacing and never-boring look. 


To the Nines is oxygen for the Thrash genre and the right hybridization with Death, and sometimes even with more extreme metal as in Oceans of Blood, makes this album more and more attractive. 

Rating: 9/10 

“Alive and dressed to the nines” headliner tour

dalia di giacomo         20.03.2009

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