With Christmas now less than a week away, Hate Eternal bassists J.J. Hrubovcak marches on with his yule tide tirade, today unleashing a lyric video for "O Come, O Come Azrael." The latest holiday hymn comes by way of the recently released Death Metal Christmas - Hellish Renditions Of Christmas Classics full-length.
Featuring five deformed interpretations of the season's most abysmal hymns, Death Metal Christmas... was composed and produced by J.J. with vocals and artwork by brother/Monstrosity garbler Mike Hrubovcak, engineered by Hate Eternal chieftain Erik Rutan and J.J. and mixed and mastered by Brian Elliott all at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg. With updated arrangements and lyrics fit for the sickest of holiday carolers, the record is an ominous death metal composition first and joyous Christmas album second.
The concept focuses on Azrael, the angel of death in some Islam, Sikhism and Hebrew lore, and the inevitable fall of mankind. The story follows a child (Azrael) born to a wealthy family heavily involved in politics throughout the generations. The child is not named Azrael but, infused with its spirit, is predestined by Abaddon (the Destroyer) to cleanse the earth of all life.
Comments Hrubovcak of "O Come, O Come Azrael," the fourth stop in Azrael's journey, "At this point, Azrael is fully self-actualized but the lyrics to this one don't address the story as much as the other songs. Instead, this song serves as more of an invocation. The guitars in the beginning and middle are designed as a swallowing force to sink the mind into the meditative subconscious and create complete focus for the invocation. This song is basically an anthem for misanthropes everywhere! So turn out the lights, break out the candles and sing - REJOICE!"
"O Come, O Come Azrael," is playing at Metal Injection HERE. Rejoice your ass on over.
And to make your holiday adventures extra sleighful, you can still sample opening number, "Unrest For Melancholy Men (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)" HERE, second track "Earthen Kings (We Three Kings)," streaming at Revolver at THIS LOCATION and "Nutcracker: Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy," spinning at Decibel HERE.
Death Metal Christmas - Hellish Renditions Of Christmas Classics is currently available for purchase at THIS LOCATION.
"The musicianship on display here is excellent; the whole thing sounds like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for death metalheads.... And the Nutcracker theme? Forget about it. It would easy to assume this was a jokey toss-off, but it's actually a well-crafted and surprisingly passionately delivered album of death metal Christmas classics, which is a really odd thing to say." - Exclaim!
"If you're looking for the must unorthodox and challenging renditions of vintage carols and old-time madrigals ever recorded, or just want to hear one of the more fascinating death metal concept records, you should give yourself the gift of Death Metal Christmas this holiday season." - Fearnet
"...given a distinctly Hate Eternal-esque treatment, everything suddenly sounds totally bad-assed. This is more than just some gag a kid threw up on YouTube for a chuckle." - MetalSucks
"J.J.'s performance left me very impressed on several levels. His guitar-work is sharp and manages to be both crushingly heavy and tastefully melodic. I especially enjoyed his Rick Rozz-esque whammy dives. ... Mike Hrubovcak's death roars are solid too and he delivers the same kind of super low, deep belch that David Vincent once made so compelling.... worth a listen due to the surprising quality of the music. If you miss it, yule be sorry! Hail Santa." - Angry Metal Guy
"Aware that a sarcastic rendition would have been too obvious - and unforgivably naff - Hrubovcak has paid close attention to the music and his arrangements are rammed with the ugliest and most brutal of sounds from the low end of the ruthlessly punishing blast beats and grimy guitar riffs to the guttural and gruesome vocals and wailing lead breaks. And to top it all off, he's altered the lyrics of them to tell a dark tale involving Azrael, the angel of death in some Islam, Sikhism and Hebrewlore. Now we can all spend Christmas listening to what we want to. God bless us, everyone." - TheMidlandsRocks
"...a great stocking stuffer and you can ring in the season with a snarl. Congratulations JJ Hrubovcak. You've done what no one has done prior. Make Christmas music cool. I commend you!" -BrokenNeckRadio
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