Band : Hatebreed
Album Title : Hatebreed
Label : Roadrunner Records
Distribution : Concreteweb Promotion Office - CNR
Release date : 02/10/2009
Review : CD

“Hatebreed” is the fifth studio album of the American metalcore band Hatebreed, formed in 1994 in Connecticut. Last year we welcomed the release of the concert DVD “Live Dominance” and in the beginning of 2009, the cover album “For The Lions” -where Hatebreed pay tribute to their idols- came out. But the previous studio album “Supremacy” already dates back to 2006.
In their fifteen years of existence, Hatebreed have had their share of changing members and record labels, but one thing always remained the same: the ultra-aggressive mixture of metal and hardcore, often abbreviated as metalcore. In case of Hatebreed, one can even describe it as hatecore. Sounds more appropriate hey.
And this new album is just like everything you’d expect, so more of the same, but with an undoubted high quality label.
Brutal anthems with shredding riffs, singalong choruses and energetic rhythms you can’t stand still on.
Remarkable fact is that frontman Jamey Jasta has developed his vocal style into more singing (instead of screaming/grunting); maybe an influence from the sludge metal band Kingdom Of Sorrow, a side project Jasta did in 2008 with Kirk Windstein (Crowbar, Down).
“Hatebreed” also stands for the return of guitar player Wayne Lozniak, who had already been with the band in the past and who is responsible for the technical guitar work.
Highlights of the album “Hatebreed” (14 songs and a playing time of 43 minutes) are the opening track “Become The Fuse”, “Not My Master”, “In Ashes They Shall Reap”, “Everyone Bleeds Now”, “Through The Thorns”, “Every Lasting Scar”, the doomy instrumental “Undiminished” and “Merciless Tide”.
Hatebreed are part of The Black Procession Tour, a package with Machine Head as headliner and Bleeding Through and All Shall Perish as other support acts, which will perform in Europe from January 23rd 2010 till February 26th 2010, with dates at Heineken Music Hall Amsterdam (the Netherlands) on February 4th and Vorst Nationaal Brussel (Belgium) on February 5th.

80/100

Erik.