Year of release: 2017
Label: Lower Silesian Stronghold
Rating: 7 / 10
I wonder if the treasury of the old Polish Death Metal will ever be exhausted? It's 2018th around, and even Lower Silesian Stronghold, one of the leading modern Polish underground metal labels who are close to right-wing scene, dug out the ancient records of the Wroclaw band EMPEROR'S HATE, and now gladly offers them to the respectable public. Except releasing of the three demos, the band apparently, did not anything special. The only noticeable fact is that infamous Grzegorz Jurgielewicz aka Karcharoth was a vocalist of this band for a short time. However, he didn't participated on any of these records.
Three demos presented on the disc are, as they say, coming from the smaller to the larger. The first, "Elektryczna smierć", recorded in 1988 under the name CONTEGRATOR, is a primitive rehearsal recording of four tracks, performed at the border of Death and Thrash Metal. The drummer comes to the fore here because obviously he is not able to play fast, so all the rest have to slow down to his pace. Only the second guitarist can not calm his fingers, constantly providing random lightning-fast solos in the vein of SLAYER. The vocals on this record are hardly audible, which does not add to its appeal. It is noteworthy that one of the songs lasts almost 11 minutes, and the other - 9 and a half. Rare thing for the genre. In general, it is listenable, and the sound is suddenly not so noisy (recorded in some MDK Polar - the Local House of Culture?), But separately "Elektryczna smierć" is not good enough to deserve the re-release as the classic of the genre.
The second demo also leaves mixed impressions. It's called "Death of Live", made in 1993, and sounds much dirtier than the first, although it's a studio recording. It reminds me HELLHAMMER demos - those which are not "Satanic Rites". Grinding, rumbling and chaos. But it is felt that the music has become faster, higher, stronger ... and shorter. No more epic lenghts, one of the themes does not even reach a 30-second mark. The vicious energy is redeeming everything, and the vocals, written in the old manner with the echo effect, are in the foreground this time. Which is very cool, because it sounds more powerful, taking on a good half of the atmosphere. There are enoigh disadvantages in "Death of Live" but it has its merits as well.
The last demo is from the year 1995 and it's called "Whispers of the Shadows". As you would expect, it has the most audiable (although you can not call it clean) sound, the most dynamic songs, the best technique of playing. Well, everything is cool here. Slow, sticky lines alternate with sullen acoustics and explosions of ultra-rapid aggression in the vein of MORBID ANGEL, and the general feeling is closer not to the Florida Death Metal, but to the early Sweden. A severe roar of the vocalist, appropriately tuned guitars, a sepulchral gloom - everything is in place. No doubt, this demo really was worthy of re-release, and, coupled with the rest, it makes "Emperor's Hate" a very good retrospective release. The compilation was released as 6 panel digipack limited to 300 copies. See more on a video.
English (UK) 
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