Chronic Hate are an Italian band formed in the distant 2001. They have two albums under their belts (‘Dawn of Fury’ from 2012 and ‘The Worst Form of Life’ from 2018) and now the time for their newest third record ‘Defeating the Oblivion of Life’ has finally come.
What you will find here are nine tracks of first class Death/Black Metal, played by talented and seasoned musicians. The album starts with ‘The Wrong’ which offers a mix between the melodic sound of Dissection and the darkened brutal heaviness of Immolation. Good impression make the masterful guitar work of Daniele T. and Massimo Andretta who attack with crushing guitar riffs and masterful leads. The vocals of Andrea are deep deathly growls mixed here and there with higher screams.
The merciless rhythm section should also be mentioned, Nicolas Petri on drums and Marco S. on bass destroy everything on their path. The second track ‘Blastphemy’ stands up to its name since it is blasphemous and filled with drum blasts. The melodic touch of Chronic Hate is evident in ‘Despair…In Sorrow’, a track with haunting melodies that sounds beautiful if I may use such a word for a Death/Black Metal release. Otherwise the album offers deadbangers like ‘Subjugated Minds’ with a little different vocals than on the rest of the record, ‘Regurgitated Brains’ or the smashing self-titled track ‘Chronic Hate’.
‘Defeating the Oblivion of Life’ is one remarkable album and a must-hear for all Death/Black Metal fans out there. The recording is of a high quality and the musicianship is impressive. Chronic Hate have managed to create one of the most interesting Metal releases from Italy for 2026 and hopefully we will not wait another 8 years for a next album from them.
