Product of Hate – You Brought This War (Self-Released)
Monday, 8th February 2021
It’s been five long years since Product of Hate made their debut with Buried in Violence. It was an album that held nothing back – furious modern thrash with an ample dose of groove. Lots of adrenaline and rage, and effectively captured that pissed off feeling that many groups just don’t grasp. Odd to say, but there’s a different feeling between angry and being outright pissed. Product of Hate continues to blow off plenty of steam in 2021, which should delight many.
Upon the first track, “Euphoria,” it’s readily clear that the band has lost none of its spitfire. The format is largely the same, with big American grooves (a la Pantera or Lamb of God) propelling the band forward into higher intensity thrash. But there’s a sharper focus and it’s clear the band poured some time into tweaking said formula. Said track gallops into extremity at times, exponentially upping the intensity as the tempo increases and eventually diving off into a furious solo. Monstrous chugs further the cause as well, as does a solid and catchy chorus that still feels angry. That aggression is only stacked further with Adam Gilley’s scathing and emotive shouts. And all that’s just track one! The more melodious and groovy “Rapture” and steamrolling “Destroyers” showcase two further sides of the coin and how the band can alter the dynamic. The latter track in particular, stands out with some more intricate riffing going on as the band blasts through more throttling tempos and keeps your ears tickled.
If there’s one break in the madness, it’s the short but shining instrumental “Non Omnis Moriar,” which works as a great palette cleanser between the galloping and groovy “Helpless” and aptly titled “True Chaos” as well as letting the melodies really bubble up to the surface. The other place that the melodies really stand out is with the frequent guitar solos. “Where’s Your God?” and “Claw the Walls” are fine examples, but really the showmanship that go into these help the band to stand out, without becoming pretentious. There’s purpose and they tie-in effectively to augment the track instead of just being there because ‘it’s solo time.’
The wait has been rather long, but Product of Hate haven’t lost a step with You Brought This War. Modern groovy thrash that delights in providing a breakneck and furious soundtrack while placing in just enough melody to keep you thoroughly intrigued. Hopefully this marks just the beginning of a triumphant return for one of the more underrated American thrash acts.
