Spite attract outsiders together by way of a hypnotic, heavy vengeance bordering on thrash intricacy and deathcore intimacy. As a result, the Northern California quartet—Darius Tehrani [vocals], Lucas Garirrigues [guitar], Alex Tehrani [guitar], Ben Bamford [bass], and Cody Fuentes [drums]—engender a level of devout fandom that can only be categorized in canonical terms…
“‘Spite Cult’ is how we refer to the union between ourselves and the fans,” says Darius. “It’s the opposition, the outcasts, and the rejects of society coming together. They’re embracing who they are and not just doing what they’re told. We’re letting people know it’s okay to be angry. We’ve never had a filter on our lyrics. There’s no limit on what we might say or how deep the music will go.”
The group’s willingness to push the envelope quietly transformed them into one of modern heavy music’s most intense forces. Following 2016’s self-titled Spite, the musicians registered shockwaves on the Richter Scale with Nothing is Beautiful a year later. Tallying over 5 million-plus cumulative on-demand streams, “Kill or Be Killed” notably racked up over 1 million Spotify streams and just shy of 1 million YouTube views. The band destroyed stages coast-to-coast alongside everyone from Attila and Oceano to Carnifex, Whitechapel, and Winds of Plague. Along the way, four-piece prepared their most incisive statement to date in the form of their third full-length, Root of All Evil [Stay Sick Recordings].
This time around, they turned the anger outward, railing against everything. “Nothing is Beautiful stemmed from depression and self-hatred,” he explains. “We’ve shifted focus. Root of All Evil is based on outward anger towards everyone else rather than at oneself. We’re embracing the dark side.”
Spite introduce this vitriolic assault with the high-speed and hard-hitting “Reign In Hell.” Tapping into a metallic side, the single ignites a fire that never stops burning, slipping from blast beats and breakdowns towards a head-spinning hook and provocative theme. Meanwhile, the title track sums up the mission statement.
“‘The Root of All Evil’ is about embracing the darkness that swells in your core and going through with your sinister urges,” he goes on, “No help to seek, no God above, no happy ending. While others attempt to pick up the pieces of a failing society, you thrive in the negativity, the hatred, and the violence.” In the end, Spite gives their cult a soundtrack with Root of All Evil.
“We want to take it to the next level,” he leaves off. “We want you to be gripping your seat from the first track until the very end. We hope you feel those waves of anger and hatred and know it’s alright to feel like that.”
