Exceptional precision and technical mastery.
This November 2025 marks the release of the sixth studio album, Rust and Bones, from the seasoned German death metal band My Darkest Hate. This record continues their established discography trajectory, which has been consistently strong since 2001. Categorically extreme death metal, the record features a high-velocity, heavy sound executed with disciplined proficiency, allowing the savage hostility to permeate every track.
The album Rust and Bones was created by the latest incarnation of My Darkest Hate, featuring a five-piece core centered on founder Jörg M. Knittel (guitars). The other key members generating the metal sound are Claudio A. Enzler on vocals, Jonas Khalil on guitars, Roberto Palacios on bass and Mario Henning on drums. Knittel is the chief source of the album’s malignant tone. All players share a deep background in death and thrash metal, with Bolt Thrower to Celtic Frost cited as primary influences. Note that this lineup occasionally includes other rotating members.
Introducing the album’s brutal sound, the opening track is aptly named “Rust” (track one). The initial declaration, “This is Rust!” delivered by the vocalist, is the trigger for the full band’s entrance. They immediately deliver the promised instrumental fury, pairing speedy, ferocious riffs with the vocalist’s sustained, visceral growls and screams, keeping the song at a relentlessly blistering death-metal pace.
Furthermore, “Sinister Warfare,” track four from Rust and Bones, showcases an intense dynamic contrast built on thrash fundamentals and catchy riffing. The drums define the song’s energy, constantly driving forward with a percussive assault. Tension is expertly crafted through rapid rolls, which set up the powerful, rhythmic groove punctuated by the forceful impact of the bass drum hits. Approximately a minute before the track concludes, the guitars then take center stage for an explosive solo.
Continuing to “Our Legion, Our Pride,” an epic, closing track for the album, which effectively synthesizes every musical element found on Rust and Bones. The song is a showcase of technicality, with the guitars and drums shifting through varying, aggressive tempos. In addition, this complexity is presented in a highly refined quality, a result of the song’s production. The lyrics likely allude to the difficult process of enduring a struggle to forge collective strength or unity.
Overall, the veteran lineup plays Rust and Bones with exceptional precision, leaving no room for error. The album provides a strong structure that fans expect from the genre. The heavy, malevolent tone is impeccably delivered. However, the experienced German death metal fan may find little groundbreaking material; the record’s technical mastery is undeniable, but its reliance on standard genre formulas may negate any element of shock.
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