Scent of Death - Entangled in Hate

SCENT OF DEATH - Entangled in Hate (Demo CDR 2002)

I got this demo years ago, pretty much when Scent of Death has released it, so it was back in 2002. Well, I just have read my review, which I wrote back then and I seemed to have liked the demo quite much, but honestly the time, when I was reviewing “Entangled in Hate” was also the last time, when I actually have listened to it, as since then I just completely didn’t bother and the CD laid dormant in the catacomb with the other demos or stuff, which I don’t listen to so often. Soon later I also got Scent of Death’s debut CD “Woven in the Book of Hate” for review and that was the last time I’ve listened to the band at all, not remembering it for seven years, until last month these Spaniards have sent me their newest album “Of Martyrs's Agony and Hate”. Then I remembered that I still have their previous recordings somewhere in my collection and decided to go back to them to see what the progression and evolution between all those releases is.

So, I gave “Entangled in Hate” few listens and I can say that this demo doesn’t impress me so much nowadays, as it did back in 2002. It is pretty standard, typical and not so effective brutal death metal, a demo with no history and one, which honestly doesn’t stand above the majority of similar releases. The song structures are pretty typical, they’re decent and solid, but also rather forgettable, if I can be honest with you. Sure, the production is OK, maybe just not powerful enough, the same I must say about vocals and in general I just miss some spark in this music, some of that devastating energy, which I could find on the last album of those Spaniards. The performance is good in general, like the bass guitar – there are some great parts in the music, but sadly it doesn’t necessarily go in hand with good songwriting and killer riffing.

One of the things, which I always liked about this demo are two instrumental passages called "Perpetual" and "Epilogue". Both are very melodic and atmospheric, and on the first impression one can think they don’t fit the dominating brutality of Scent of Death’s death metal. But I actually think they’re doing well there and give some time to take a breath, before another cannonade of riffs will eviscerate your flesh. The first of these songs reminds me a bit of Death’s “Cosmic Sea”, while the later sounds a bit like Tiamat’s acoustic material from “Astral Sleep”, with that acoustic guitar, violin and melody… nice. But all in all “Entangled in Hate” is not really a demo, which would ever conquer the world.

Final rate: 60/100