Ton(e)s of Hate

Italy's Necrodeath were amazingly prolific since their unforeseen return to action in the new millennium, following nearly a decade of inactivity. 2003's cleverly titled Ton(e)s of Hate is their third opus in as many years, and despite featuring a rather silly album cover that looks like a low-budget horror flick (recommended title: "Take that, Chucky"), it boasts a fair number of surprisingly good qualities. Though essentially rooted in old-school thrash metal, album highlights such as "Mealy-Mouthed Hypocrisy," "The Flag," and "Last Ton(e)s of Hate" never sit still long enough to become predictable. Quite the opposite, as their constantly shifting tempos and wild mood swings see them incorporating the cracked and blackened vocals of singer Flegias into numerous guitar tones and harmonic textures, as well as a vast array of unconventional percussive sounds. The fact that so many elements are usually crammed into relatively short, three-minute thrashings is a credit to Necrodeath's risk-taking attitude (see the female soprano on "Queen of Desire"); but it also results in the unfocused diluting of some great ideas, many of which are impatiently discarded before they have a chance to take hold. Still, there's no fear of boredom to be had here, and fans of challenging, eclectic heavy metal are guaranteed to enjoy Necrodeath's goods.