Katharsis 2011

"You will be forgiven for expecting some sort of progressive metal or other type of melodic rock release after the beautiful acoustic intro that os 'Deep Scars', but, as you will realize as soon as the title track kicks in, Hate Squad's "Katharsis" is an exploding bomb of all out hate- and anger-filled thrash metal.

There is plenty of thrashy riffage and crunchy guitars accompanied by uptempo drumbeats, intermingled with heavy passages and the same sort of groove associated with Pro-Pain. Adding to the energy and attitude of the album Hate Squad draw on hardcore punk, making good use of the simpler but energetic riffage of hardcore punk. And this crossover style goes perfectly well together with Hate Squad's overall image and lyrical universe, which focuses on hate, anger, and aggression.

Yes, this is an all out metal attack, and the harsh extreme metal-oriented vocals along with the downtuned guitars and occasional death metal riffage only adds to the sense of brutality and aggression. But "Katharsis" is not totally without melody. First off, there are more melodic intermezzos along the lines of 'Deep Scars', and there are also melodic lead guitars along with melodeath-styled choruses.

Fans of thrash metal, crossover thrash, hardcore punk, and melodeath should definitely check out this groovy slab of pure hatred.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)"