Hate – Bellum Regiis

 


On May 2, 2025, the Polish band Hate released their latest album Bellum Regiis via Metal Blade Records. The title, translated from Latin, means “War of Kings.” It is interesting how many death and black metal bands come from Poland. It is by no means easy to achieve major popularity when a band constantly has to exist in the shadow of — and be compared to — Behemoth or even Vader. Hate has had to struggle with this a great deal. They are often labeled or mocked as a Behemoth clone. Personally, I don’t really understand this, as they don’t have much in common beyond being Polish and sharing some stylistic similarities.

This album is the follow-up to Rugia (2021) and is also Hate’s 13th full-length release. This time, they have created a much bolder and more aggressive record than ever before. It is possible that the subject matter itself brought this aggression along, as well as the far more monumental and mature sound. The album’s themes draw deeply from questions of power, self-sacrifice, and war.

Compared to Rugia, this album feels far more personal and human. It explores the hatred within mankind and how power, wealth, glory, and faith motivate human behavior. The central theme is the struggle for power. The desire for power runs in human blood. Human nature carries hatred, anger, and endless corruption within itself — and this is what will ultimately lead to humanity’s downfall. Bellum Regiis is enriched with much more varied guitar themes, perfectly conveying both highs and lows.

When I started the album and the title track “Bellum Regiis” began, a familiar female voice immediately caught my attention. And I wasn’t mistaken — it was indeed Eliza Sacharczuk, whose voice adds even more color to the overall atmosphere. Listeners familiar with Patriarkh may recognize her from the album Prorok Ilja, where she also provided vocals.

The first song written for the album was “Alfa Inferi Goddess of War,” while the last was “Ageless Harp of Delivery.” Here too, hatred stands at the center, with inspiration drawn from ancient Greek mythology.

The album artwork was created by Daniel Rusitowicz. In my opinion, it is an extremely well-executed and fitting cover that perfectly reflects the album’s themes. The king depicted on the cover clearly bears the scars of the wars he fought for his crown.






The most epic track on the album is “The Vanguard.” Brutal and fast, like an army annihilating enemy lands — this is how Sinner described it. For me, this track, along with “Iphigenia,” returns to the band’s earlier style while simultaneously introducing new atmospheric elements.

In addition to Eliza Sacharczuk, another familiar name also contributed to the album: Michał Staczkun, who has worked with Hate on every album since Erebos. Fans may also know Staczkun from Patriarkh, where he played guitar on the Black Pascha and Prorok Ilja albums.

The album was produced by David Castillo (Katatonia, Candlemass, Carcass).
Sinner named “A Ghost of Lost Delight” as the most melancholic track on the album, dealing with the cycle of life and death.

Bellum Regiis draws inspiration not only from ancient Greek mythology but also incorporates Slavic mythological elements, particularly in “Rite of Triglav” and “Perun Rising.” Throughout the entire album, Nar-Sil’s drumming stands out as exceptional, especially on “The Vanguard,” where his performance is truly stunning.

Overall, this album represents a major step forward in Hate’s career. It may well be their strongest release to date — though we hope they will reach even greater heights with future albums. I highly recommend this album to fans of the band, as well as to anyone who enjoys the genre and is particularly interested in deeper philosophical and historical themes — because there is plenty of that here.

Tracklist:

1.     Bellum Regiis

2.     Iphigenia

3.     The Vanguard

4.     A Ghost of Lost Delight

5.     Rite of Triglav

6.     Perun Rising

7.     Alfa Inferi Goddess of War

8.     Prophet of Arkhen

9.     Ageless Harp of Delivery

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