Hatemagick - Cybermechanical Antichristian Phenomenon

This should have come with Painkillers. Not because it is pain-inducing, per se, but because it is so, so difficult to review. It's one of those album you just want to hide away from writing about.

The artist is Jon Andre Lundal, from Norway, now living in New Zealand (always nice to have artists from countries who don't make much Industrial music). Jon is an Occultist, deeply fanatical about Numerology, Symbolism, and the Mayans. Occultism and extreme music go so well together - Coil is infamous and loved by all, and the Metal scene is full of it.

This is the third Hatemagick release, and like the others, the album cover is very simple, one image on a Black background.

Musically, I have problems with Hatemagick. It is intended to be hateful and vulgar Aggrotech of the highest degree, and not to be "enjoyed". It is more to induce meditation, more to be listened to if you intend to draw down the Moon, then it is to be played at any club or living room.

Cybermechanical Antichristian Phenomenon is very minimal. I can actually make out everything in the mix, and the album is as creepy as hell. At times, I've genuinelly shivered, and it reminds me of the Electronic works of Beherit.

However, despite the promise of occultism, fucked up despair, and ritual de-stabilisation (and to be fair, it does that very well), this album has an entire tapestry of glaring problems.

First of all, Jon's vocals are extremely... Strange. They are super low in the mix anyway, and they consist of very hateful shrieks and screams - almost Banshee like at times, and he ends each sentence with a trademark roar. To the occultists, satanists, and anyone else listening to this, I suspect it will impress. I even like the overall feel of absolute bleakness here. However, for the majority of Aggrotech listeners, this will be a huge turn off.

People want relatively fast paced, aggressive, Suicide Commando style vocals, and this is both musically too slow and depressing (as intended), but also vocally too barren and lifeless to reach the target audience.

Mixing issues prevail later, which at times can make each song indistinguishable from others, but for the most part, it isn't all the same wall of noise which various other new musicians can churn out.

Hatemagick is a work of passion - Although there are no artists without passion for their craft, Jon really carries a torch for this project. It clearly consumes him like a burning flame, and he has packaged this CD so well - it looks professional, and I even got a patch, fridge magnet, and t-shirt with it. I thank Jon for this, as aesthetically, I love what Hatemagick is doing.

As someone with an interest in the occult, I salute the project, and love the originality, darkness, and outright fucked up ideas that he is producing.

On a musical level, this project still needs some work, and although I'd be keen to score this favourably if I were reviewing a Dark Ambient or Black Metal side project, as an Aggrotech project, I can't see it working on the current production.

All three albums are available for free download, and at the time of writing , there is a sponsored banner to the right of the Homepage that will direct you to the Hatemagick website.

I hope Jon takes these words to note, and works to improve the weaknesses, because somewhere, Hatemagick belongs to a scene that will embrace it. I just don't know if Jon has found it yet.

Pros:
- Occult themed Music and Imagery has always appealed to me.
- I salute everything unique about Hatemagick. The band name is just awesome.
- Dedication is second to none.

Cons:
- Production.
- Vocals are too fucked up for the scene.
- Very low Marketing potential currently. Mar 12 2011