HATE FOREST: “Justice”

I don’t need to introduce HATE FOREST to you – you can’t be a fan of the black metal scene and not be familiar with the work of the Ukrainian musician Roman Sayenko, and more specifically, with one of his most intimate projects.

“Justice” is the thematic continuation of the trilogy that began with last year’s record “Sowing with Salt”. And while the previous record was about the looming curse over enemy-ravaged lands and despair, “Justice” is about the quest for justice, revenge and ultimate victory. As Roman says, “Moscovia delenda est”.

In the four tracks, you will hear the traditional fury of the musician and the fast fire-breathing instrumentals that are HATE FOREST’s trademark, and the emotional charge is, as always, quite enough to power an entire nuclear power plant.

Steeped in malice and thirst for justice, “Justice goes” through different phases of existence. From the brutal desire for destruction in “Merciless Cold-Blooded Revenge”, reflected in both the tight powerful sound and the lyrics (“Exterminate this fucking spawn to dust”), running through hatred and reinforced with bitter mockery of the Rat King and his kind in “Rattenkönig” (“Holy sodomites dressed in gold”). Only to be bathed in light and majesty in “Stronghold,” a song about courage and personal strength, about self-sacrifice, about the significance of victory over tyranny and serves as an inspirational call to those fighting for justice.

The final track, “Izium Forest”, pays tribute to those who died in the Battle of Izium in the year 2022 and talks about the forests in the area that turned into a mass grave of over 400 people, all  left to roam there forever. The song begins with ambient sounds hushed into silence, gradually followed by ghostly drawn-out melodies and an atmosphere of creeping dread – an aural picture that authentically describes the place. An entirely instrumental piece, however, which is key to the overall concept and lends a phenomenal finish to the work.

And you know, the primal force  in this album is a real art. The skill of the musician has been put into these four tracks without any doubt, but above all,  “Justice” is an emotion, a promise made and a strong  oath, a symbol of a nation’s hope for retribution. And not only. The recording is the right response to a crushing aggression on innocent lives. Whether in peacetime or wartime, we must not forget that every action has a counteraction and at some point justice will move in the right direction and serve what needs to be served.
“Justice” is that – an aggressive, captivating black metal album with a message. A record that you will listen to in rapture and will ignite your flame from within until the very end.

Album: „Justice“
Band: HATE FOREST
Relase Date:  June 28th, 2024
Label: Osmose Productions
Order:  https://bit.ly/3U0KEfU