Out May 2nd On Metal Blade Records; New Video/Single "Iphigenia" Debuts

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Photo by Mariusz Kowal

Slavic black/death metal institution HATE will release their Bellum Regiis full-length on May 2nd on Metal Blade Records.

With a dozen ferocious and lauded albums since 1996's Daemon Qui Fecit Terra, HATE's lucky thirteenth album, Bellum Regiis, sees the unrelenting Polish quartet forging a bolder and more aggressive style than ever. Bellum Regiis' nine songs see vocalist/guitarist ATF Sinner, guitarist Domin, drummer Nar-Sil, and bassist Tiermes honing a modern sound rife with eerie atmosphere and depth. Produced by David Castillo (Candlemass, Carcass, Dark Tranquillity, Katatonia) at Stockholm's Grondahl Studio, Bellum Regiis is lyrically a more "humanity focused and personal" album than 2021's Rugia while its songs are timely aural and visual exploration of, according to the vocalist, "a struggle for power and everything that comes with it."

Formed in Warsaw in 1990, HATE has been hailed as a "hallmark of consistency" and praised as a "sleek and tight death metal monster." Since 2017's Tremendum, the band has focused on nature and its mysteries as a main source of inspiration. As Sinner explains, "whether that's the nature within us, around us, or that we see from afar, the perspectives gained and how they relate to different overarching themes have driven each album." Where 2019's Auric Gates Of Veles focused on death, the Slavic perception of death in particular, Bellum Regiis finds HATE delving into "humanity and why are we, as creatures, so deeply motivated by concepts like power, wealth, glory, and faith. The main theme is a struggle for power and everything that comes with it."

Hence the album title, which translates to "A War Of Royalty" or "A War Of Kings". The band's frontman looks at the hard questions surrounding power - does its attainment make us aberrant or are we aberrant to begin with? The title track encompasses the LP's leitmotif. "As a song, "Bellum Regiis" has both a deep melancholy and a sense of grandeur," he says. "The vocals laid down by [renowned singer and voice teacher who runs a holistic arts center in Bialystok] Eliza Sacharczuk give the song a strong sense of time. Whether that's nostalgia, reminiscence, regret, or preparation for the future is in the eye of the beholder. These wars, these struggles, have been ongoing since the dawn of our existence. Whether they are futile or not, they are scars on our very nature."

Fans may notice some commonality between Erebos and Bellum Regiis in the character of the compositions and overall sound, with Bellum Regiis being richer in style and with more black metal elements to it. "Between female vocals, orchestration, samples, and acoustic guitars, there are a lot of moving pieces that help set this album apart," notes Sinner. "My vocals have also changed quite a bit over the years. They're more nuanced and wider-ranging, able to portray emotions and meanings in a more powerful way."

In advance of the release, today HATE unveils their first single, "Iphigenia". Sinner elaborates, "in Greek mythology, Iphigenia was the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and a princess of Mycenae. The music came first in this case, but there was an immediate need to fill with content and the story of Iphigenia seemed to connect with it beautifully. It's a story about sacrificing your life for a greater cause. But the example of Iphigenia is striking because she at one point is given a choice and can save her own life, yet she decides to be put to death and in this way help support the Greek side in the Trojan War. It's a story of sacrifice which would, all the way since the days of Aeschylus and Euripides, divide an audience of listeners. Is it monstrous of her father to be willing to sacrifice her due to the pressure of his generals? To appease Artemis? Is it then heroic or brainwashed that she would sacrifice herself for her people's cause?"

Watch HATE's "Iphigenia" video on KNAC.COM HERE.

Bellum Regiis will be released on CD and digital formats as well as LP in the following color variants:

• 180g Black
• Grey Marble
• Silver Blackdust (Ltd. 300)
• Gold Blackdust (Ltd. 200)
• Black/White Splatter (US Excluside Ltd. 350)