Brood of Hatred: The Golden Age

Brood of Hatred is a one-man Death Metal act founded by Tunisian musician Muhammed Mêlki. The Golden Age is his 3rd album.

Brood of Hatred are quite progressive in their approach to Death Metal. The Promo for this album stated ‘FFO Edge of Sanity, Opeth and Dark Tranquillity’ - I’m a huge fan of all of these bands and whilst there are some elements on show, I feel like this release is more ‘tech’ and has a darker atmosphere than the bands cited by the label. If I was to try and describe the sound on The Golden Age by drawing comparisons to more widely known bands, I would reference the likes of Beyond Creation (for the tech) and Ulcerate (for the oppressive atmosphere).

I assume the drums are programmed (given Muhammed Mêlki handles all aspects of the release)- regardless, the ideas and moods offered up by the ‘drumming’ provide a major focal point for the albums sound. The release is technical, without being over the top- there’s no overt ‘wankery’ on this release, but it’s clear that a large amount of skill and procession is needed to craft the intertwining parts that are on show throughout. The vocals are delivered in a manner which is reminiscent of the likes of Jens Kidman from Meshuggah. Its not my favourite growling style in extreme metal, however the monotonous, rhythmical delivery complements the music well.

The album art has an art-deco yet futuristic feel, intended to reflect a “parallel universe of post-apocalyptic revival�. Is not the typical Death Metal album art but I feel like it is a good fit for this release. The album has a real ‘coldness’ to it which the art manages to capture; there are no uplifting melodies or chord progressions to latch onto- even when the guitars take on leads, the instrumentation retains some dissonance. Subsequently The Golden Age is able to build an almost claustrophobic feeling over the course of 8 tracks; 7 of which are intricate, intense death metal pieces. The final track on the release Astral Projection is a 2 and a half minute ‘palate cleanser’; it’s much needed, and an astute choice for closing the album. The spacey wash offers the listener some respite, providing room for the listener to shrug off the sonic murk that has built up throughout the release.

This is a very focused and cohesive album. The fact that this release is the efforts of an individual contributor makes this even more impressive to my ears. I really enjoy this album, and even though I’ve listened to it a dozen or so times, I feel like it is still offering me something new on each listen. It is fine example of where prog/tech Death Metal has progressed to in 2022.

Track List

1. God Over Demons
2. Self-Destruction
3. Genesis
4. Uncertainty
5. The Golden Age
6. The Mask of Death
7. The Uncarved Block
8. Astral Projection

Added: February 7th 2022
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 1222
Language: english

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