Album Review "Ballet of the Brute" by Danish Death and Thrash Metal Band Hatesphere

"Ballet of the Brute" is the 2004 studio album by Denmark’s death and thrash metal band Hatesphere. This one begins with the short instrumental track called “The Beginning and the End.” I guess they decided to take a page out of Napalm Death’s book and start the album off with a heavy instrumental. The album then really gets intense with the song called Deathtrip. Once again, Jacob Bredahl does the vocals and he is no less intense compared to the band’s previous effort.

"Vermin" Song Analysis

But then comes the slow yet melodic song called Vermin. Vermin is referred to as a person that is so toxic that he or she makes other people very uncomfortable. A vermin can also be a monster or a bad thought that exists in a person’s mind. We can make the case that Vermin is the first really good song on Ballet of the Brute.

The style of Ballet of the Brute is very much in the style of The Haunted. There are harsh vocals similar to Peter Dolving, fast drumming and then of course, speed is used in the solos. The song Vermin in particular with its riffing builds up so much that finally there is a loud grunt by Mr. Bredahl!

Is the band Hatesphere a mixture of death metal and thrash metal? The question is certainly a valid one for those of you that may be asking it. I would say that this band is a combination of the bands St. Hood and The Haunted combined to create an album with hardcore style vocals.

The song called Downward to Nothing tells the story of how people become poor and they end up struggling. This struggle leads to loneliness and isolation. With the rise of the free market capitalist system in countries such as the United States, the amount of poverty has only increased. Only the Strongest is a heavy song that has an Arch Enemy influence in it. The song may as well describe a leader that is an autocrat. Autocrats typically use fear mongering tactics and the use of hatred against other groups. It is almost like a leader that leads a cult following. What I See I Despise lyrically is similar to the previous song. Some people are so filled with hate in their minds and bodies that they will do what they can to show their true colors. With Denmark being one of the happiest countries in the world, I think they have the ability to tolerate the lyrical themes of this band. A happy person makes things work out in their favor even if they encounter a setback or hardship.

This album is already better musically than the album Bloodred Hatred and I could make the case that it is a better album than To the Nines. As we near the end of this short album, Warhead is a song that describes the scenario that worldwide war is imminent. We should beg for mercy. Once again, the Arch Enemy influence is present in this song. Warfare is a sort of disease as nations often times start wars for control and domination of resources. The album may as well be an album with the themes of being angry at what some people think of as an unjust world. The best songs in this album are many including the first three and Downward to Nothing.