HIVE

"Hive" is an EP release by US death metal act Hath. The EP was originally independently released in October 2015. While the EP was originally only released in digital format, Willowtip Records opted to reissue a remastered version of "Hive" on both CD an vinyl in October 2020. The reissue features the bonus track "Atropus", which is a track written between "Hive" and Hath´s debut full-length studio album "Of Rot And Ruin" (April 2019, Willowtop Records). Hath formed in 2014 and "Hive" is their first official release.

The material on the 5 track, 32:07 minutes long EP (the reissue features 6 tracks and a total playing time of 38:30 minutes) is technically well played and progressive tinged death metal. When Hath play slow I´m often reminded of Opeth. A feeling which is further enhanced by the fact that the growling vocals sound very similar to how Mikael Åkerfeldt sounded around the turn of the millenium. Hath often double the vocals with a raw higher pitched vocal style too though, which provide the music with a blackened edge, but I don´t think the black metal influences are dominant on this EP. Just like Opeth´s music some tracks on "Hive" also feature acoustic and atmospheric passages, and the material is generally both varied and intriguing. It´s also quite dynamic and the tracks can go from slow and doomy, to an atmospheric acoustic part, to a furiously fast-paced blasting part in just a matter of minutes. I´ve heard many artists try their hands at playing and composing in a similar style, and while quite a few fail, Hath are skilled musicians who pull it off with ease, and they are also capable of writing interesting and memorable material (I hear several hooks in both the vocals and the instrumental parts throughout the EP).

Considering that "Hive" was originally an independent release, it features a very well sounding production job (the EP is produced by drummer AJ Viana). Brutal, powerful, and detailed, which are just the right elements to help make the material shine. And shine it does...and "Hive" is arguably a high quality technical/progressive death metal EP, and it´s almost impossible to believe that this is a debut release. A 3.5 (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)