25th March 2026

Review: “Hate Reactor” by Divine Chaos

Having had the pleasure of witnessing United Kingdom 7 String Thrash machine Divine Chaos not once but twice as Rabidfest headliners it’s safe to say that we have a certain respect for the five piece. Their last album, 2020’s well received “The Way To Oblivion” is an absolute masterclass in devastating hooks and rhythmic intensity and having left a crater in Bloodstock Open Air Festival and reduced venues to rubble with Evile in 2022 it feels good to have them back. Retaining the line up that brought us that record with original guitarist duo Matt Gilmour and Chris O’Toole joined by bassist Craig Daws (Sacred Mother Tongue, Dishonour the Crown), drummer Mariusz Marecki (211) and vocalist Jut Tabor (Furyborn, Metaprism) means consistency and continuity from third album “Hate Reactor” is the hope. Recorded and produced by Scott Atkins (Cradle Of Filth, Sylosis, Gama Bomb) at Grindstone Studio before being mixed and mastered by Chris Clancy (Machine Head, Architects, Evile) the only question is, can it live up to the weight of expectation?

Panned drums, crystal clear dynamic guitars and powerful vocals means opening cut “Regicide” has all the quality you’d expect from a current record from the likes of Testament or Exodus, the five piece expanding on their Thrash roots with an acoustic bridge and clean vocal harmony that bursts into a powerful solo. Capturing the energy of their fierce live show with a timeless sound, while there is a formula to the song writing, its very well hidden and works well. Title track “Hate Reactor” has a classic neck snapping Thrash groove with throat splitting vocals from Tabor, to whom its clear the lyrics mean more with a venom spitting performance. A sing-a-long chorus and a Trivium sized solo make for masterclass that will leave you wondering why the band aren’t signed to a major label, such is the quality of what they craft. Tabor’s vocal range impresses greatly on “Where Gods are Last in Line” as one moment he’s offering up death growls and the next soaring cleans, the leads and soloing utterly sublime.

Somehow Divine Chaos have created something of such quality that it sounds like it belongs to “Master Of Puppets” era Metallica in “Condemned to the Void” with plenty of classically styled guitar moments and an almost acoustic bridge of such weight and gravity its stunning. Tearing out of that with a Death Thrash finale of fire and brimstone with the gang chant-able “resurrection comes!” and you almost need to look at the fine print to see why this wouldn’t quality for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. Menacing and sinister riffs soak “The New Reality” the bone, the driving percussive battery a tornado of souls with enough old school sensibility to grab the attention of even the hardest of Metal heads. A bleak lyrical narrative inflicts just as much damage as the adrenaline fuelled guitars and what you’re left with is something so fearfully addictive that it could be the next designer drug. There are more clean vocals on “Without a Trace” which would give the track an almost Traditional Heavy Metal vibe if it wasn’t for how scorching the guitars are, the twin axe attack put to great use with interwoven harmonies and duelling solos. The vocals have been layered up so that you almost get the impression of two separate vocalists where there is one, the uncleans underneath the cleans on this statement piece.

What’s that? All killer no filler? One wouldn’t expect anything less from Divine Chaos and with “Blood of the Earth” they punch like the steel fist of Terminator, the aggression levels simmering before the solo bursts into flames. Scott Atkins and Chris Clancy deserve a lot of credit for their contributions because they’ve nailed the mix and given the band a crushing guitar tone with which to trouble our craniums, the old school stylings with modern production values making the record stand out from the pack for all the right reasons. The punishing grooves of “This Coming Storm” are insane and if you can resist singing along with Tabor for more than one spin then you might want to speak to a shrink. You could put these songs in any order and they’d work just fine, the rumbling bass from Daws registering as seismic activity. Usually the final track on an album sounds like one but “Shadows of the Wasteland” is the exception to that rule, the five piece showing their dedication to craft with some intricate and creative riffs and harmonies during another classy tune to help you breathe more easily. Long live the Kings! Long live Divine Chaos! [9/10]

Track Listing