Hate Eternal Lead Death Metal Charge on the East Coast

The East Coast gets all the good metal tours. Don't believe me? Hate Eternal, Cannabis Corpse and Order of Ennead made their way from Atlanta to Philadelphia for the Hostile City Death Fest in August, providing a blastbeat feast to all those cities and in between.

Order of Ennead -- featuring Deicide member Steve Asheim -- opened the tour slot on Aug. 27 at the northern Virginia metal mecca Jaxx. "This goes out to all religions who think they know everything and god. It's called 'Lies Upon the Lips of Judith,'" frontman Kevin Quirion told the crowd. The death metallers have a new album out on Earache Records called 'An Examination of Being.'

"We got here early and we watched the Weather Channel, 'cause that's what we like to do. True death metal nerds watch the weather," Cannabis Corpse frontman Weedgrinder said. As the Jaxx website stated, "Yes, [the band name] is spelt correctly." For a band with a pretty funny gimmick, Cannabis Corpse are the real deal on stage. They are proficient musicians who write kick-ass death metal songs.

"We got two more and then Hate Eternal. Hate Eternal!" Weedgrinder said. When he didn't get the hearty response he should have, he responded, "Well f--- off in the mosh pit then!"

It takes a certain kind of death metal frontman to be all smiles off stage and then be immensely grim on stage. People like John McEntee, Ross Dolan and Luc Lemay have that charismatic magnetism. On top of being inspiring musicians, they are so damn likable. Add Hate Eternal's Erik Rutan to that list, too. The former Morbid Angel and Ripping Corpse guitarist is a true leader. Before and after the band's set, he eagerly chatted with fans. However, during the set he was a bit scary, with ugly growls, grimaces and all.

Watching the band made it even clearer why Terrorizer would put them in their decade list: There is no slouching in Hate Eternal, unless you count in between songs when the band takes short breaks and leaves the audience with feedback and ambient tracks. And that makes following each song just that much more intense.

The trio is currently working on the follow-up to 2008's 'Fury and Flames.'