HATE ETERNAL was borne from Rutan's on-going quest to push the envelope of uncompromising hate. Having spent the majority of his career solely as a guitarist, he felt the strong desire to step up to the mic with his brutal vocals and mobilize an outfit that would truly represent his own ideas. The goal was to create a massive force of devastating death metal with a lineup that was untouchable. Filling the drum slot would prove challenging as the material seemed to demand an eight-armed demon. After trying out a few mere mortals, Tim Yeung entered the picture. Having studied the masters like Sandoval and Hoglan while adding his own unique qualities to his art, his utterly relentless attack proved to be a mandatory ingredient. Yeung is poised to take his place as one of the premier death metal drummers. The addition of Doug Cerrito (ex-Suffocation), one of the most respected guitarists in death metal, added yet another strong dimension to the band and the final addition of Jared Anderson's punishing bass attack and co-vocal sickness cemented the roster.

With undeniable aggression, premier musicianship and Erik and Jared's vicious lyrical firestorm, Conquering The Throne is the high-water mark for death metal in 1999. Musically, the album is on all-out precision assault, done so with all of the flair and expertise one would expect from such an impressive assembly. To accompany the assault, Rutan's lyrical stance derives influence from a variety of sources: ancient philosophies and scriptures, ongoing personal beliefs, ominous futuristic prophesies and other hateful visions. The combination is undeniable. Rutan and company have succeeded in creating an album of sheer death metal mastery, a supreme force thrust upon the world to be reckoned with forevermore. Be prepared, for the devastation is about to begin!