EPK – Hatred Reigns – Awaken The Ancients (2023)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“Unleashing an infernal symphony of brutality and precision! Our music is a testament to the raw power and intricate craftsmanship that defines death metal. Each member has their own barrage of styles and influences which created the unique twist that is Hatred Reigns. Sonically, we’ve been told we sound like Origin, Suffocation, Hideous Divinity, and much more. The face-melting riffs and licks that Jeff brings to the table, along with Mitchi’s enigmatic vocals, pairs perfectly with the aggression and agility of Neil’s grinds and gravity blasts with Adam on the low end making heads pop. Combined with their untamed raw energy from their live performances creates a formula that’s going to shift tectonic plates.” – Hatred Reigns
For fans of Cryptopsy, Suffocation, Origin, Carcass, Behemoth
Band: Hatred Reigns
Album name: Awaken The Ancients
Release Date: December 1, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
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“Hatred Reigns’ Awaken the Ancients is Brutality in Sound and Theme… For those of you who can’t get enough of their brutal technical death metal thematically based on What Dreams May Come, Dante’s Inferno, Milton’s Paradise Lost, and love wallowing in the murky anguish of life’s darkness, take an audio gander at the stream of the album.” – Decibel Magazine
“this is a slab of high density, very technical death metal that fans will love” – Real Gone Rocks
“Hatred Reigns’ core death metal is sturdy, with bass guitar leads and overactive blast beats giving a technical spark to the album.” – Heavy Music HQ
“Fast, barebones, guttural death metal is what Hatred Reigns offer us here, and it’s bound to awaken the ancients indeed… If you’re into death metal at all, chances are good that you’ve heard this kind of no-frills death metal before, but in this crowded genre, Awaken the Ancients is certainly worth a listen. 4/5” – The Metal Crypt
“Hatred Reigns play to their strengths on this album opener (Awaken The Ancients), delivering speed and fury, but impressive agility as well as aggression. They unleash madness in the viciously sizzling and skittering riffage and ruthlessness in the bone-smashing hammer blows that segment the frenzies, and the monstrous guttural growls expel the words in barks that are almost as fast as the backing instrumentation. But the band also switch things up, slowing the tempo and injecting weirdly swirling arpeggios and then hitting the accelerator to bring forth an even more demented and delirious escapade, this time fronted by crazed screams and screeches as well as gritty growls, and propelled to further heights of lunacy by a fret-melter of a solo and bursts of maniacal drum battery. When the band decelerate again, the chords elevate it into an otherworldly realm, both menacing and haunting, and the band also layer in a little bass solo, a few humongous bass drops, and a hulking, lurching stomp. But of course they go back into the fast lane for one last burst of high-adrenaline barbarity as the song surges to the end.” – No Clean Singing
“‘Departing Archeon’, grabs me where I didn’t expect (You can see the video for this at the bottom of this page). This time the vocal and lyrics are instantly engaging… accessible and menacing ‘Welcome… We’ve been waiting for You…’ which somehow made me smile from ear to ear. And just wait for that main riff – it’s f**king perfection. Simple, brutal and so utterly worthy of a headbang. Looking over the release notes they compare their release to ‘Origin’, Suffocation, and Hideous Divinity, but I’m getting vibes of classic Thrash and Death Metal. Think early Sepultura, Gorefest and Carcass, especially with that DIY ethos those thrown in too. It enables them to keep their influences close to their heart and do exactly what they want to. Overall, it took me a few listens to the album to appreciate how good it is. It’s a complex album that doesn’t hide behind overly technical playing … it knows how to keep the riffs simple, crunchy and heavy… Incredible stuff.” – Music Trespass
““Awaken The Ancients” is a well-built album, since when you listen to it on several occasions it offers you some different contexts to the first listeners, this implies a material riddled with nuances housed in the most brutal, technical and precise Death Metal; kind like the parents of this move like Suffocation, also if you like Cryptopsy or Aborted. This is the line of these insane Canadians who make an album quite to consider for this and upcoming releases. ¡Attentive that this looks good!” – MetalFriends
Metal Injection: My favorite Technical Death Metal EPs released in 2018 – Realm I: Affliction – Hatred Reigns – Article By Austin Weber
“”Planes Divide” vividly reveals the band’s ability to join together murderous brutality and impressive technical fireworks.“ – No Clean Singing (2018 – Realm I: Affliction – EP)
“And once again Canada is the country chosen to make me enjoy with the most technical death metal, this time in a more brutal and devastating side, although perhaps less surprising but much more neck-breaking.” – Necromannce (2018 – Realm I: Affliction – EP)
“The high pitched screams send shivers down our spine and the crushing finale feels as though we are slowly being dragged down into hell.“ – Spirit Level Magazine (2018 – Realm I: Affliction – EP)
“Hatred Reigns alerts us to the arrival of another innovative, brutal and exciting death metal band from Canada” – Eternal Terror (2018 – Realm I: Affliction – EP)
Band: Hatred Reigns
Album name: Awaken The Ancients
Release Date: December 1, 2023
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
Track Listing:
1. Awaken The Ancients (5:20)
2. Pain Leads To Nothingness (3:16)
3. To Depths Unknown (2:40)
4. Obsolarium (2:36)
5. Ushered By Charon (5:23)
6. Planes Divide (3:47)
7. Absentia (4:58)
8. Departing Acheron (3:43)
Album Length: 31:20
Album Credits:
All songs performed by: Hatred Reigns
All music and lyrics written by: Hatred Reigns
Orchestration created by: Hatred Reigns
Recorded at DMS Studios (May 2021 – Apr 2022)
Engineered & Produced by: Hatred Reigns
Mixed & Master by: Mitchi Dimitriadis at Dark Moon Productions (Oct – Dec 2023)
Artwork by: Pedro “Lordigan” Sena
Layout by: Neil Grandy
Canadian Content MAPL
Album and Live Line up:
Mitchi Dimitriadis – Vocals
Jeff Calder – Guitars
Neil Grandy – Drums
Adam Semler – Bass & Vocals
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About The Album Artwork:
Pedro “Lordigan” Sena was the designer of our album’s artwork. He created a masterful piece with countless aimless souls wandering and preparing to face judgment. In many ways, the cover art represents the 9th song of the album with its vibrant color palette and depth of detailed imagery. The cover really conveys the music composed for this epic conceptual album.
The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Embark on a Sonic Odyssey with “Awaken The Ancients”
Prepare to be transported on an unparalleled auditory journey with Hatred Reigns’ upcoming release, “Awaken The Ancients,” set to unleash its sonic might on December 1, 2023.
“Awaken The Ancients” is not just an album, it’s a conceptual epic that traverses uncharted realms of sound and emotion. The album’s narrative follows a protagonist grappling with oppressive forces, leading to a summoning of the ancients who rise to liberate the tormented from their prolonged suffering. Plunged into an endless abyss, the tormented emerge upon a desolate shore, surrounded by aimless souls.
In a quest for liberation, the damned are ferried across by Charon who must navigate treacherous planes, confronting challenges from demons above and lurking waters below. Their odyssey takes them across the enigmatic river Styx, lured by the ancients towards Necropia, where ultimate judgment awaits.
Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)
Track 01: Awaken The Ancients
In a world where the forces of power wield their influence over the masses and various factions rise in rebellion, a hidden force emerges. The Ancients, beings of age-old wisdom and insight, remain concealed yet vigilant, observing the turmoil that engulfs the populace. They are attuned to the potential futures that unfold, especially those of the tormented souls who question their destined path amidst the anguish.
Track 02: Pain Leads To Nothingness
Our central character succumbs to the overwhelming forces that surround them, departing from this existence in a blaze of spectacular finality. This dramatic exit is precisely as they had wished and planned.
Track 03: To Depths Unknown
“Frantically falling, flailing to and fro,” the protagonist is caught in a whirlwind of uncertainty, grappling with the unpredictable twists of their destiny. Their ultimate destination remains shrouded in mystery as they descend into the abyss of the unknown.
Track 04: Obsolarium
The protagonist turns inward, grappling with profound existential questions. They contemplate the nature of their current state: Should they hold onto the belief that even though their physical life has ended, their ultimate fate is still malleable, waiting to be defined?
Track 05: Ushered By Charon
Awakening to a surreal reality, the protagonist finds themselves in a desolate wasteland at the water’s edge. Surrounding them are countless lost souls, adrift and purposeless. A vessel emerges on the horizon, guided by a disheveled figure at its helm—Charon, the Ferrier of souls.
Track 06: Planes Divide
Undeterred by the dangers that lie beyond the shoreline, the protagonist pays the fare required to embark on a treacherous voyage across the waters. Unbeknownst to them, their journey will lead them through realms that are far more perilous than anticipated.
Track 07: Absentia
As the vessel ventures onward, the treacherous waters prove to be a metaphorical battleground. The Ancients, masters of manipulation, distort the perceptions of the voyagers. The protagonist’s senses are tampered with, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.
Track 08: Departing Acheron
Approaching the shores of Necropia, the realm of judgment, the vessel sails closer to its destination. The Ancients intensify their efforts to deceive and ensnare the voyagers. Their intention is to imprison these souls, subjecting them to a fate dictated by the Ancients themselves, just before they face their ultimate judgment.
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Fun Facts – Story Angles:
1. Mitchi Dimitriadis engineered and produced the album which was essential to achieving Jeff Calder’s vision for this concept album.
2. Jeff Calder and Mitchi Dimitriadis developed the orchestration soundscapes heard on the album and during our live show infusing capture percussive sounds and spoken word elements with digital sound samples.
3. Hatred Reigns was the first band to mix and master their own album at Dark Moon Productions whereby Mitchi Dimitriadis was manning the equipment with the masterful assistance of Joe “Moon” Lyko.
4. Our guitarist Adam Semler has been apprenticing with Luther Charbonneau to learn the trade and is creating custom guitars for the members of his various projects.
5. Neil Grandy moderates the band’s visuals, as well as the editing and production of our videos.
6. Hatred Reigns takes pride in being a DIY band. Each member is a valuable asset to the group outside of their role of playing their instrument.
7. This album is the collective contribution of each member to make this release possible.
Stories behind the recording sessions:
1. During a break while tracking guitars, Mitchi accidentally dropped his lighter into a hot tub that had Scuba Jeff had to dive into action and retrieve it for him. KRRR Splash!
2. Jeff is absolutely infatuated with United Cutlery The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit memorabilia and replica collectibles. As well as being passionate about Howard Shore’s thematic scores for Peter Jackson films which may have been infused into our music.
3. The album, like many others, faced a lot of adversities in the recording process which caused a very lengthy recording process. Some of these included: COVID lockdowns, people being sick with COVID, soldering of one instrument’s electronics to disrupt their tracking, click tracks plagued the process, and Planes Riff 3 proved to be the most challenging riff of the entire album, 2nd would be the diminished riff in Ancients for Jeff to execute to all band members satisfaction.
4. The final day of tracking guitar solos proved to be quite a powerful day, literally. While on a break, the skies turned dark gray and we were sure a storm was definitely looming. While tracking the last solo of the album, the lights kept flickering. We didn’t think much of it until Jeff’s daughter and dog tore down the stairs saying the storm was violent outside. Incredibly, we managed to track the last solo without the power going out. Finishing the session we went to inspect the damage and didn’t see anything significant out back, but upon leaving the house we discovered that the front tree had been blown over but fortunately towards the pathway. While driving Mitchi home, the city was like a wasteland, as sections of roads were closed due to downed trees and snapped power lines. Mother Nature was demonstrating her power for sure.
We were grateful to the Metal Gods in order to complete tracking the album during such treacherous moments.
It’s possible that the Ancients were looming, yet extreme metal prevailed!
L-R – Jeff Calder – Guitars, Adam Semler – Bass & Vocals, Neil Grandy – Drums, Mitchi Dimitriadis – Vocals
Unveiling Hatred Reigns: Forging a Path of Extreme Musical Mastery
Introducing Hatred Reigns, an uncompromising force hailing from the Ottawa Capital Region of Ontario. With an exceptional lineup comprising Mitchi Dimitriadis on vocals, Jeff Calder on guitars, Adam Semler on bass, and Neil Grandy on drums.
Prepare to be transported on an unparalleled auditory journey with Hatred Reigns’ upcoming release, “Awaken The Ancients,” set to unleash its sonic might on December 1st, 2023.
Embark on a Sonic Odyssey with “Awaken The Ancients”
“Awaken The Ancients” is not just an album; it’s a conceptual epic that traverses uncharted realms of sound and emotion. The album’s narrative follows a protagonist grappling with oppressive forces, leading to a summoning of the ancients who rise to liberate the tormented from their prolonged suffering. Plunged into an endless abyss, the tormented emerge upon a desolate shore, surrounded by aimless souls.
In a quest for liberation, the damned are ferried across by Charon who must navigate treacherous planes, confronting challenges from demons above and lurking waters below. Their odyssey takes them across the enigmatic river Styx, lured by the ancients toward Necropia, where ultimate judgment awaits.
The Confluence of Masterful Musicians
Hatred Reigns is a union of accomplished musicians, each with an illustrious background. Drawing from other renowned bands such as ‘A Scar For the Wicked, Harvested, Deformatory, Thalassophobia, Insyte, Misshapen, MIM and Dichotic. The band’s collective expertise creates a sonic tapestry that seamlessly weaves old-school death metal with modern technical elements.
A Labor of Dedication and Passion
“Awaken The Ancients” stands as a testament to years of unwavering dedication and unyielding determination. The album’s thematic inspiration derives from an eclectic mix of films, literature, and the visceral experience of facing a spectacular demise. Divided into two realms, “Affliction” and “Affirmation,” the album offers a profound navigation of the protagonist’s perspectives and trials as they embark on their voyage to Necropia.
Album and Live Line up:
Mitchi Dimitriadis – Vocals
Jeff Calder – Guitars
Neil Grandy – Drums
Adam Semler – Bass & Vocals
Discography:
2023 – Awaken The Ancients – LP
2018 – Realm I: Affliction – EP
Shared Stage with:
Defeated Sanity, Stabbing, Cryptopsy, Aborted, Archspire, The Agonist, Bookakee, Gland, Misshappen, A Scar For The Wicked, Jesse Leach (Killswitch Engage)
Artist Endorsements: Charboneau Guitars
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