Hate Eternal frontman Erik Rutan was hoping bassist Jared Anderson, who had played with Rutan in Morbid Angel and on the first two Hate Eternal records, would rejoin the band for its upcoming disc. But on October 14, Anderson died in his sleep of undetermined causes. Unable to find a suitable replacement, longtime friend and Cannibal Corpse bassist Alex Webster stepped in to record. But while the musical gap was filled, Anderson’s death left a scar in his heart.
“Jared was one of my best friends, and his passing away really affected me and influenced this record a lot,” Rutan told MTVnews.com’s Metal File. “It’s a very dark and heavy record — not just heavy as in ‘heavy metal,’ but heavy-hearted as well.”
Partially in reaction to Anderson’s death, Rutan decided to throw caution to the wind and write in an almost stream-of-consciousness style, without concern for rules or traditions.
“I just did whatever I wanted and didn’t pay attention to whether one riff is faster than another or whether one section is better than the next,” Rutan said. “It’s the first album [on which] I wasn’t concerned about outside influences or sources. It was more just coming from the soul and it created a lot of diversity in terms of dynamics.”
But while certain elements of songs like “Hell and Venom” and “Parabellum” will explore new sonic themes, the trademark anger and intensity will be as present as ever. “Hate Eternal has always been based around rage and fury,” he said. “For me, this band is all about expressing negative emotions and turning them into something positive. That will never change.”
