Total Hate: Throne Behind a Black Veil (2019)

It was not all that long ago that I thought that German black metal was kind of a rare beast.  Since that time, it seems I have come across a number of very good German black metal bands, including Imha Tarikat, Bethlehem and Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult, among others.  Total Hate is another such band.

As one would expect from a band called Total Hate, this is absolutely filthy and angry, hateful black metal.  It is mostly mid-paced, riff-based black metal in the vein of groups like Mayhem and Darkthrone.  The production is crisp and clean on this, allowing the riffs and each of the instruments to be heard clearly.  That is a rare thing in black metal. 

The only real issue with the album is that it is not the most original of albums.  It is a bit derivative of groups that have come before and does not really have its own voice.  That is not generally a problem when the music is as good as this one though.  And there are some damn good songs on this release.

This release by Total Hate is am impressive release of old school black metal.  This album would have been a classic if it came out in the mid 1990's.  Unfortunately, in 2019, it's a decent release but, by no means groundbreaking.