Review: “Void” by Hatred Inherit

A revolving door of musicians continues to be a thorn in the side of original drummer Kai Bracht and guitarist Stipe Šimleša when it comes to all things Hatred Inherit but the former Seventh Seal Broken members refuse to give up their dream. A new bass player and a new guitarist have been announced by the Germans this year alone with Marc Neander the only one of the two to feature on this sophomore album. The promise is of a sharpened, technical and uncompromising assault on the senses that draws influences from the likes of Malevolent Creation, Morbid Angel and Decapitated. Adorned by artwork from Kai Ski (The Serpent Sun Tattoo) the question is, six years after their self titled debut, is it possible to complete a vision in Death Metal with a session vocalist?

The answer to that is an undisputed yes as a man simply known as Frederico burns his way through the lyric sheet of the dark, malevolent and epically grand opening cut “Shrine”. Blast beats and down-tuned riffs accompany his throat shredding performance like a match made in hell, the foreboding atmosphere akin to that of the darkest of horror films. There’s no respite from the sonic abrasions either as the brutal “Feeding The Abyss” leaves scorched earth in its wake, Bracht demonstrating exactly why is held in such high regard, earned from his performances in Hounds of Damnation, I Despise and Phobiatic to name but a few. The twist of the knife is a passage of Death Groove sandwiched between Blackened punishment beatings, a moment that you might not have seen coming on the first couple of spins but becomes a guilty pleasure sooner rather than later. A menacing and sinister introduction to “Violated” won’t prepare you for the vicious onslaught that follows as the rhythm section of Bracht and the bands former bassist Nils Stadtmann whip up a storm. Waves crash violently against the shoreline in the dead of night, the whirlwind of percussive battery as nasty as the plague winds that emanate from the mouth of their vocalist. The absence of a face melting solo during the first three cuts might just be only complaint of a purist but as the band harness the power of their influences on the brute that is “Deathmarch” it matters little. Touches of dark melody and dissonance rear their ugly head between moments of scalding white heat as the band toy with atmospheres and create something with the power to grip your brain like a vice.

Another restless and relentless artillery shelling of a kit performance from Bracht is at the bitter black heart of “New Gods“, a beast of a track that brings to mind Russian Melodic Death Metal veterans God Syndrome. The surprise is that the adrenaline rush of a gallop does indeed have the first solo of the record within its grasp but rather than being an all out firebreather, its more of a technical affair with an underpinning in powerful Death Groove. Soaked in melancholia, “Fading From Within” feels like the most personal of this collection of tales before it races away at breakneck pace, the work of calloused hands and furious minds. While it might not seem possible you can hear more of an emotive quality to the vocal performance during this one, something that seems to bring out a sharper performance from the rest of the band, albeit a sombre one. Instrumental “Hatred” is something of a curiosity in the sense that it sounds like it could have had vocals despite its chaotic fusion of powerful drumming, tight rhythms and malevolent leads. It sounds like the sonic equivalent of a hectic head for the most part, as if you can feel the pain of a thousand needles but don’t know from which direction they come, the disorientation leading to blind panic. After an old school Lamb Of God style introduction “Weak” carves its name in your chest with a sharp knife, proving that their brand of Blackened Death Groove is very much a force to be reckoned with. Slowing the tempo in the mid section doesn’t mean any reduction in intensity, the quartet confirming that not all those who wander are lost with a punishing grand finale. Make no mistake, Hatred Inherit need to bring their line up issues to an end so they can bring their brand of Death Metal to the World stage because its well deserved [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Shrine
2. Feeding The Abyss
3. Violated
4. Deathmarch
5. New Gods
6. Fading From Within
7. Hatred (Instrumental)
8. Weak

“Void” by Hatred Inherit is out 13th June 2025 via Pest Records and Satanath Records and is available over at bandcamp