Whythre - Impregnate My Hate

Angry Metal Guy 70

Firstly, I’ve never considered impregnating my hate. She’s already bitchy enough. I really don’t understand the reasoning behind it, but I’m also not Whythre. Also, what the fuck is a whythre? Maybe Hate gave birth to three kids, and that was the final chicken scratch from the father before being hated on for good.¹ Regardless if I ever get answers to these questions, the Whythre I know is a melodeath outfit from Seattle. With one album already under their belt, these Washingtonians are looking to take the melodic death metal world by storm. Well, not really, but I sure as shit hope this album is better than their last.

Nothing against Whythre’s 2015 debut, Hel’s Hollow, but it’s shit. It’s slow, dull, and the vocals are just dreadful. To make matters worse, said vocals are all you can hear. It’s like being blissfully drunk, and then your wife yells at you for being such a loser. But it’s ok; those days are past us. Since the release of the debut, Whythre has done a complete overhaul. New singer, new direction, and, goddamn, I am here for it. Rarely have I come across a band where two albums are so different. Fine, that happens all the time, but usually in a negative way. For Whythre and Impregnate My Hate, the decision to go harder, faster, and leaner was the right choice. The tracklist and runtime alone are enough to show the change. Both albums contain nine songs, but Hel’s Hollow did it in forty minutes while Impregnate My Hate is a circumcised thirty minutes. Let’s get started before the album ends.

Impregnate My Hate by Whythre

“Scorchbreath” wastes no time getting the album going. With some growing key support, that deathy lick pushes so hard on your prostate that it vaporizes. And the vocals on this song—and the album as a whole—fit the tone and aggression of the music far better than the debut. “Scorpions of Sinai” is another beast of a track with heavy lows that make the chorus villainous. This song also shows the true musicianship of the band as the guitars and keys tear through blisteringly-fast passages that would make Alexi Laiho smile.

And that’s another significant difference between the band’s two records. The dueling guitar work, calculated leads, and solo showmanship are on an entirely different level on Impregnate My Hate. “Death Frontier” is one such song. Alternating between pummeling drum blasts and soaring melodies, the unpredictable riff and mood changes keep this mere three-minute piece more exciting than it should be. Then, there are thrash-heavy numbers like “C Section S1urpee” and closer, “Run It Red.” Despite the cringy name, the first song is a nasty thrasher with some Aborted-level death metal transitions. At the same time, the closer combines thrash with death to deliver some of the more badass licks on the album. It’s a relentless track that closes the album stronger than it began.

Impregnate My Hate is a surprisingly good album from a band whose debut album I will never touch again. Though some of the noodling can be too much, and the chorus of “Tantric Aspects of the Cross” is annoying as fuck, there are surprises around every corner. Including the gorgeous Clint Mansell-esque atmospheres in the heart-wrenching “Immanence.” The vocals can sometimes be a bit forward in the mix, but nothing like the band’s previous album. But the master has enough breathing room to feel every instrument and their intricacies. I might not have been a fan of the band before, but Impregnate My Hate has convinced me otherwise.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: whythre.bandcamp.com | whythre.com | facebook.com/whythre
Releases Worldwide: May 26th, 2023

The post Whythre – Impregnate My Hate Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.