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Melodic Death Metal: Ablaze My Sorrow - Anger, Hate and Fury (2002)

82 / 100
Anger, Hate and Fury is Ablaze My Sorrow at their most confident and consistent.
Before eventually going on hiatus in 2006, Ablaze My Sorrow released their third album Anger, Hate and Fury in 2002. Unfortunately, it shared the same fate as Black (2016), coming out alongside In FlamesReroute to Remain and Dark TranquillityDamage Done. The band still consisted of core members Magnus Carlsson and Anders Brorsson, joined by guitarist Dennie Lindén, while vocals shifted yet again to a new face: Kristian Lönnsjö. Oh, and having Tomas Lindberg of At The Gates appear on the track “Slit Wide Open” should have helped lift Ablaze My Sorrow’s name through this album.

The album cover is eye-catching like Black, but instead of interpreting the face as angry or holding back rage, my mind reads it as someone stifling laughter or holding in a bowel movement. Yeah, maybe too many memes have rewired my brain. Lol. The band logo also returns to that iconic Latin font style, and honestly, it’s much better that way.

Musically, the band sounds fully formed: firm drumming, straightforward melodic guitar interplay, and Kristian’s vocals fit perfectly—less deep growl and more dense shrieking. The tempo embodies the album title—anger and hatred—right from the start, seemingly peaking midway through with “Retention of Illusion.” “Thou Shalt Forever Suffer” serves as an interlude between two raging carriages, while “Paradies” and “Heartless” slow things down slightly with simpler structures and additional recorded vocals on the choruses—yeah, a bit Rammstein-like.

As for standout tracks, the first one that grabbed me was “Where the Strong Live Forever,” whose chorus is extremely sing-along-able, followed by the faintly familiar airborne melody of “Shrouded are the Pleasure of Flesh.” Lyrics—which I rarely highlight—are well represented by “Erased/Relived”:
Kill me, set me free
Come to me beautiful death
Kill me, set me free
Feel the pleasure of killing me

So, I think Anger, Hate and Fury can serve as an alternative remedy if you were disappointed by In FlamesReroute to Remain—though that’s just my perspective after seeing average reviews on Metal Archives. Still, Dark Tranquillity's sits in the 80s, or maybe you’re still hyped about Arch Enemy’s Wages of Sin, which dwarfs Ablaze My Sorrow in name recognition. For me personally, this third album is their best output and doesn’t come across like an excuse to go on hiatus the next day.

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