HATE ETERNAL

The flames of fury are still raging

If I would have to point the man being the example of metal professional of flesh and blood, I would vote thoughtlessly for Erik Rutan. The producer, former guitar player of RIPPING CORPSE or MORBID ANGEL, but first of all mainman of HATE ETERNAL, the death machine created by his hands and by exceptionally creative mind absolutely doesn’t become discouraged by the reverses of fortune, marching still forwards and leaving behind the route painted by blood. As the one of the confirmations his criminal activity can to be mentioned of course the last album “Fury In Flames”, gathering everywhere and like always the laurels of death metal masterpiece, not forgetting simultaneously about the tours promoting the newest work of group. Yeah, Erik is a kind of guy comparable with the heroes of world history, being probably unconscious that he became already a part of her, so knowing about that he likes to talk very long and sense, I asked him about a few things, remembering of course, that we have talked already the same day and in this place… before 5 years, so nothing strange that the surprise of Erik was in this case beyond of all bounds.

-Beginning our talk, firstly I must ask you about the line-up of HATE ETERNAL, which wasn’t stable last time. Could you introduce me the men that are playing with you on this tour now?
Well, Jade Simonetto is my new drummer, I am playing with him almost two years now. He just contacted me when Derek left the band, a lot of drummers contacted with me, probably a few hundred contacted me about the gig. I thought that Jade is most talented and has something what HATE ETERNAL within had previously, so I can to pick him. Shaune Kelley is a long time friend of mine, before 25 years we played together in RIPPING CORPSE. So, that’s somebody avoid I wanted in the band, we had never played live as two guitars and that’s something I always really wanted, but I have never found a good guy, so this time Shaune just had decided that he wanted to join it, so it’s really easy decision. And J.J I have known from probably ten years, I have invited indeed Alex to our new record, but I knew he won’t be on the tours, so J.J is on tour with us, so… Yeah, that’s it.

-As the promotional campaign of “Fury In Flames” was already began long ago, can you tell me how did you spend the last months regards of concerts?
Well, we were a little bit touring, that’s the second time in Europe what is really awesome, we are coming back again I guess for Party San and Summer Breeze and some others festivals… And we have toured America three times now as well, so we will take yet a couple of tours and we will do another record as the next one.

-Sometimes I wonder myself how so busy guy like you can to connect the touring with the duties of your own studio...
Ah, it’s very hard to do everything all time, to tour and record… Sometimes I miss some tours and sometimes I miss some records, so it’s very hard to bond two careers, but I just work a lot, so it’s pretty much our works. But it’s working all time, I enjoy them on both, so I keep them on both.

-OK, let to talk a little bit about “Fury In Flames”. How do you think about the reception of people in due of this album? Have you noticed the exceptional reactions by your fans?
I would tell a lot of people fell like this is close to “King Of All Kings” as far as the vibe, cause is very aggressive but I… I feel like a kind… it has a tone feeling to… you know… to the other records but it was a more epic stuff, so much solo, work… You know, the new record was already sold out better than our previous records, so I think that’s a good sign that’s what we have done, you know, in one year was sold out already more than every records that we have, I think that’s very well… You know, everybody has a favourite record, as somebody likes it more than the others I am happy. I have got as response the great, great music. We have a loyal fans, you know, they are to HATE ETERNAL very loyal, so it’s been very good.

-Could you explain to which album of your discography have you got the biggest sentiment and why?
I would say to this one, because my bass player Jared Anderson passed away and he really inspired me to create a record that I was dedicated to him, so I feel like this record was the most inspired album of my whole career. I worked really hard on it and… You know, when Derek quit and Randy then parted the ways and it was just me and my own, some people daunted, they daunted me, they daunted HATE ETERNAL which is a big mistake, you know. I have done it for a long time, I believe in myself and the loyal fans too, but some people said: “ah, Derek is gone, so it’s all over”. I had this band before him and before Randy and I knew that I will downs back. When Jared passed away, that was like really shock for me, I guess took me a well to keep my senses back and fade out that’s what I do, but the whole record became about that, I dedicated my record to him, so as that I have said, that’s the most personal record that I have whenever done, sure and the hardest record because of that. So it’s very intensine, stress forcible and a hard record, hard record…

-Which are your memories in due of your playing in RIPPING CORPSE before many, many years? Anyway, could you explain why your mother band made never any career in spite of the times when you have started? There were still the golden times of death metal!
I think… You know, RIPPING CORPSE came in our heated time, you know, we… It was very complex and very different for what was gonna out back there, a very unique singer and it was like a blend of thrash and death metal and metal and… Can to think that if RIPPING CORPSE would come out in the last ten years we would have been responded, because now it is was a high-bred kind of music, we were high-bred. And at the time I mean we just… People weren’t interested to signing with us, you know, and that’s why we really broke up in a pure frustration, but when I think back about RIPPING CORPSE I think about great times, I mean here Shaune and all of our amazing times, we were really just kids, you know, we knows ourselves from a high school when we have started to play in RIPPING CORPSE, so… A lot, a lot of great times, you know, amazing times and the beginning, beginning of my career, so… I am not in a pass talking about it.

-Try to be for this moment a normal death metal fan to estimate which albums could to be a competition for “Fury In Flames” of HATE ETERNAL…
Surely ORIGIN, you know, I think that their newest record is fuckin amazing. Well, I think a new NILE, although came out earlier than last year, it’s really one the of the best. Now ORIGIN is one of my best records, VITAL REMAINS, you know… AEON, I think is so awesome… What else? SUFFOCATION, their last record is awesome as well…

-During your career you had the episodes as additional guitar player of MORBID ANGEL. What do you think about the last works of this band – especially “Heretic” – and which expectations have you got in due of forthcoming the new album of them “Iblis The Great”? Do you believe yet, that this band will be great like in the past, especially when Dave Vincent plays within again?
Well, I think MORBID ANGEL will always be great, no matter what they do. You know, it’s been six years since “Heretic”, so it’s been a long time to new record and the making, so I think and I am sure that Trey is working very hard and making a some of amazing music… To put Trey and Dave and Pete in a room and they will gonna make something good, so I have a very high expectations for myself.