Band: Hate Squad
Title: Katharsis
Label: Massacre Records
Distribution: Suburban
Release date: October 28th 2011
Review: CD

This Hannover-based quartet was originally formed in 1993, and after some rehearsal and demonstration recordings, they did several ‘official’ studio releases, especially through Gun Records, which weren’t always reviewed that enthusiastically (at least outside their home country – Germans have always been pretty chauvinistic when it comes to their music scene). Their live presences, in consequence, have been received very positively, while being able to play live on stage in support of, or during the same gig with, for example, Atrocity, Gorefest, Paradise Lost, Death, Machine Head, Nailbomb and many others.
Since they left Dockyard 1 (on which Hate Squad did release their last full length, 2008’s Degüello Wartunes), Massacre picked them up pretty soon, and the first result is Katharsis, recorded with Ralf Müller (member in acts like Heaven Shall Burn or Fall Of Serenity, and studio-master for, f.e., Neaera, Soulgate’s Dawn, Dying Humanity, Misery Speaks or Rafflesia).
Katharsis consists of thirteen tracks with a total running time of fifty minutes, and the digi-pack comes with two bonus-songs (the luggish and bashing brain-smasher Traitor Scum and a new version of Every Second Counts, a punkish up-tempo rocker from the Old School), clocking close to an hour in totality. The band still grooves and rocks, drags and draws, but this time Hate Squad go further than ever before.
Several songs, or parts of a song, go on in the vein of the past: Hardcore / Thrash Metal / Hatecore whatever. But more than before, the band injects their tracks with elements from (nineties-oriented) Death and even Doom-Death Metal. And a few times it gets through, in both the faster and slower parts. It isn’t as ‘obscure’ as the darkest side of the extreme Metal scenes, yet at least it is much darker than it was in the past (I’m still referring to a part of the songs, not the complete album).
The contrast between serious brutality and catchy grooves causes a feeling of uncomfort. Sometimes I’m rather enthusiastic and concentrated, and then again I try not to laugh out loud with hilarious fragments teasing my mind. Many highs, many lows as well, and lots of experience, craftsmanship and good ideas behind the preparation and execution, that’s Katharsis’ resume.

79/100

Ivan Tibos.