Returning from the battlefields the Scythian warriors known as Hate Forest return with war hymns to preach to the masses. Innermost is the name of their latest full length which doesn’t deviate at all from the typical Hate Forest formula of intense blast beats, deep growling vocals, and impeccable riffs that are simply addicting to listen to. Quite a surprise release as this literally came out the last day of 2022, quite a climactic way to end the year surely.
As I mentjoned before there isn’t much different when comparing this album to the older Hate Forest releases, particularly the first two albums. The previous release Hour of the Centaur kept that same formula, but was able to bend it and change it and make it feel fresh especially with the production on it. This album how ever felt like a bit of a step back. The production is much colder similar to the first Hate Forest album, especially when it comes to the drums. I can only assume the band went back to using digital drums given the situation of the band’s homeland, but while the older albums were able to use them well, on this album they feel much more subdued and not as prominent as opposed to Hour of the Centaur which I think had great drumming pieces even though they were simplistic as usual. The riffs, while they are that iconic sound, feel a bit too simplistic and not much going for it outside of the rapid pace and righteous feeling Hate Forest riffs always give you. Thanks to the production I also feel as though the vocals can get lost in the wall of sound the guitars produce. They’re there but they don’t feel as prominent as compared to previous releases from the band. But still a solid performance none the less.
Despite my nit-picks its still a very solid album with plenty to enjoy. It doesn’t over stay its welcome and there’s enough variation within the song writing to keep your mind occupied and gets that black metal itch perfectly. But, there’s no denying that its not the strongest of Hate Forest releases. I do feel like it was a step back for the band while Hour of the Centaur was a good gallop forward in terms of the production. This album does what it needs to do and I’m sure is a great emotional release for the band despite how bleak it sounds, I’m sure they’re feeling just as bleak given the situation that they’re in. In the end, die hard fans of Hate Forest and the rest of Saenko’s work will most definitely enjoy this as well as fans of black metal who want something a little bit different from the rest. Personally, I don’t think I’ll be revisiting this album all that much as compared to previous Hate Forest releases, but I still enjoyed my time and definitely didn’t find it displeasurable to listen to. Just expected a bit more.