CoC : Hateplow - The Only Law Is Survival : Review

Hateplow - _The Only Law Is Survival_
(Pavement Music, 2000)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)

With ex-Suffocation drummer Dave Culross replacing the deceased Larry Hawk, Hateplow (a project that is helmed by Phil Fasciana and Rob Barret of Malevolent Creation) certainly guaranteed an impressive rhythmic backbone for _The Only Law Is Survival_. And indeed, following some rather impressive cover art, the onslaught is merciless as the band unleashes some devastating death/grind of remarkable quality. Not only does their musical delivery reach unusually high levels of aggression, but the technical skill and precision one might expect from looking, for example, at Malevolent Creation's _The Fine Art of Murder_ is here as well. There is also a certain level of similarity between _The Only Law Is Survival_ and _The Fine Art of Murder_ during some of the slower sections, which is expectable given the current Hateplow line-up. Some punk influences on a couple of tracks seem rather excessive to me, however and I don't think they fit too well with the hyperspeed brutality that dominates most of the album, but fortunately they seldom appear during _The Only Law Is Survival_. Meanwhile, the production, if you listen to the record loud enough, does a good job of keeping things simultaneously brutal and clear. Not a groundbreaking album, but certainly one that pushes some things quite close to their limits at times. A thoroughly enjoyable slab of brutality.

(article published 25/10/2000)

ALBUMS
1/9/1998	P Schwarz	8	Hateplow - Everybody Dies