Depths of Hatred - Inheritance (2021)

It’s always interesting when a band seeks to reinvent themselves as DEPTHS OF HATRED do with Inheritance. Armed with a new vocalist, the Canadian five-piece claim to have “wiped the slate clean” for their third full-length. Specifically, they’ve added touches of progressive metal and metalcore to their brand of crushing technical death metal. Whether that quite counts as wiping the slate clean is probably up for debate, but it does make for an evolution from their previous records. Inheritance clocks in at 44 minutes, and hits hard for just about all of them.

One of the first things listeners are sure to notice about this record is its impeccable production. This is something the band kept in house initially, before handing off to Christian Donaldson (known for his work with BENEATH THE MASSACRE and SHADOW OF INTENT) for mixing and mastering. Between them, they make things sound absolutely massive. Opener Enslaved Through Lineage comes crashing straight in with gigantic drums and crushing guitars – all produced to crisp, clear perfection. This remains true for the rest of the record, with synth pads often used to add further atmosphere to the band’s already expansive sound.

New recruit William Arseneau is also quick to make a good impression. On Enslaved Through Lineage he announces himself with a vicious scream before tearing into the typically savage vocals one might expect for a band like this. Arsenau varies his delivery nicely, flitting from lower gutturals to higher fry screams with ease. He stands out even more on the tracks which follow however. Both Sadistic Trials and Pulsating Rhythm see him offer up powerful melodic cleans alongside his harsher screams. These are one of the most obvious additions to the band’s sound, and remain a highlight throughout. At points, they even draw comparison to the likes of Howard Jones or Jesse Leach of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE.

Behind Arseneau, the rest of the band maintain a consistently high standard of technicality. The four of them are definitely still capable of the tight and intricate rhythms of their previous output. These often provide a real sense of groove, and lend themselves to some serious head-banging. They’re also clearly comfortable blasting away at speed, as they do on tracks like Sadistic Trials and Shivers.

The record is a tight team effort for sure, but guitarists Martin Trottier and Felix Demers often shine in particular. As well as their complex rhythmic playing, the duo’s lead work is especially impressive. One could point to a fair few examples of this, but stand outs include the (presumably) tapped work on second track Sadistic Trials, as well as the harmonised leads of album closer Emerging As One.

As much as DEPTHS OF HATRED explore new sounds on Inheritance, it’s safe to say there isn’t loads of variation. As a result, while the record is largely solid, it can be hard to pick out highlights. The opening three tracks stand out to an extent, but that could just be down to the fact that they come first. None of this is to say Inheritance is a bad record, not by any stretch. All it is is that it may have benefitted from a little more dynamic creativity.

At the end of the day however, it feels a little harsh to hold all this against DEPTHS OF HATRED. After all, it’s definitely more varied than their previous more straight-ahead offerings. It’s also fair to say that what the band do attempt on Inheritance is mostly successful. Hopefully, going forward they’ll push these boundaries even further. Even if they don’t though, there’s no denying this is a satisfyingly punishing listen from a band who’ve definitely upped their game.