Band : Hate Inc.
Album title : Art Of Suffering
Label : Club Inferno Entertainment – My Kingdom Music
Distributor : A
Release date : 06/06/2011
Release : CD

Started by Vincent Vega in 2002, Italy's Industrial Rock/ Metal act Hate Inc. was originally a one-man studio project as a means to escape the drudgery of everyday life in Rome. However, in a very short time the casually started project became his favourite passtime and main music project, because the lyrics and music suited him best. So he left all the other musical projects he was involved in as a drummer at the time, and concentrated on just the one thing. Along the way, he realised that he would one day like to perform his songs on the Italian stages, and therefore slowly went in search for the necessary personnel to make for a complete band.

In 2006 the line-up of Vega (vocals, bass, guitars, synths, drum machines) and Davide Esposito (guitar, bass on one track) created the 10-track Loathsome Sounds (How To Destroy Me) full-length, which was self-released. It was followed by the equally self-released 11-track In Death We Trust (which included a Bob Seger and 2 Marilyn Manson covers), this time with Will Mars adding lead vocals to the 3 songs he wrote lyrics for (as well as doin' backings to the others), and one Salvatore Piccione doing the same on another song (Esposito was no longer part of the equation). Next up was the 6-track Hate Inc release which, with Mars still doin' backing vocals and singing lead to one of the tracks, saw the induction into the fold on bassist Stuart Slate. In the time that followed important changes happened for the band, as Vega finally found the missing band members he was still looking for in drummer Dave Bundy and guitarist/ backing singer Roxy Narkos. Mars, whom had shown his worth before, was enlisted as the band's live synth and keyboard player plus additional backing/ occasional lead singer...and the live band was complete. Gigs were played as a serious and important part of the band's existence, and in doin' so the guys got to share the stage with other Italian Industrial acts such as Dope Inc. and Extrema. In 2009, with the membership established, the band started recording what would eventually become this full-length album, releasing first the 4-track EP Fragments (essentially the first songs that were ready).

Now there's the 12-track official debut album (well, actually it's an 11-track album with a bonus orchestral version of the track “Fragments”, re-arranged by Davide Esposito -remember him?), presented to the world at large thanks to the band getting signed (as chronology goes) to Club Entertainment and My Kingdom Music. And I have to say I'm thoroughly enjoying this! As its most important influence, the band itself cites Ministry (and with that band it shares the US stylings of Industrial Metal, namely through the use of copious synth and keyboard sounds, as well as frequently adding drum machine sounds to the frey), but also Rammstein, NIN, and Killing Joke. The combination indeed clarifies the more Rock-geared affinities of the band (compared to Ministry, they're not quite thàt heavy), but it all works to give this band a face of its own, as there's no copy-catting involved in the overall process! Both the 2009 EP and this album were produced & mixed by Victor Love of the aforementioned Dope Inc., and some reviewers have hastened themselves to liken that band's sound to this one. Whether there's any truth in that, I have no way of knowing (yet) as Dope Inc. is (still) a noble unknown entity to me.

As you will be able to hear from the tracks posted at the band's Facebook page (all 4 tracks off the EP) and those posted at (www.) myspace.com/thehateinc (orchestral version of “Fragments”, one of the EP's tracks, and 3 other songs' samples) Hate Inc.'s music is highly enjoyable, and that hopefully not only for the usual “kind” of people into this music (the synth sounds are certain to appeal to Goth fans, for sure). Latest news is that the guys are already working on the material for their sophomore official album...and personally I anticipate that second album with open arms. Hate Inc. music doés make a welcome difference from the usual stuff I get to listen to for review (don't take that wrong, I am very much into Industrial, and will proudly add this album to my collection).

90/100

Tony.