History

Hate Eternal was formed in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1997. The group's original lineup included lead guitarist and lead vocalist Erik Rutan, bassist and backing vocalist Jared Anderson, drummer Tim Yeung, and rhythm guitarist Doug Cerrito. The band's name came from an old Ripping Corpse demo song.

In 2000, drummer Derek Roddy replaced Tim Yeung and toured for Conquering the Throne. In 2002 the band recorded their second album, King of All Kings as a trio with Rutan, Anderson and Roddy. That summer, Rutan left Morbid Angel, stating that he wished to devote more time to Hate Eternal.

What followed was a whirlwind of international touring to promote King of All Kings, including a noted video on the MTV2 program Headbanger's Ball for the single, "Powers That Be". Anderson left the group soon after due to an admitted drug problem. South Florida musician Randy Piro (a friend of Roddy) began filling in as Anderson's replacement. After completing their last tour for the album in December 2003, the group began work on new material.

2004 saw Hate Eternal begin work on the follow-up to King of All Kings, entitled I, Monarch. Recording began in the fall, and the album would eventually be released on June 28, 2005. Hailed by critics and fans alike, the album added new percussion elements to their extreme metal sound while retaining the elements of speed and brutality that dominate the genre.