You have to hand it to Connecticut’s Hatebreed, that this new album, which represents their 8th full length release since their inception back in 1994 are still terrorising audiences around the world. In terms of pure longevity, you have to stand back and applaud any band playing the uncompromising music we all love for two decades and still managing to be relevant in an environment and an industry that seems to favour new and shiny things over those plugging away and carving out a career for themselves. That is worthy of praise regardless of the worthiness of new material.

Much of Hatebreed’s success, is due to their charismatic frontman Jamey Jasta who not only fronts the band, but is a successful TV host and also producer and star of his own podcast, the indigenously named ‘The Jasat Show’, where he interviews the great and the good of the metal world. Having listened to it over the years, there can be no doubting his natural ebullience and talent as a performer and interviewer. It would be slightly disingenuous, to lay all the success that Hatebreed have enjoyed over the years mainly at Jasta’s feet, but it has undoubtedly played a large part in their continuing relevance. I say it would be disingenuous to suggest that’s all down to him because, from a recorded material perspective, Hatebreed have, over the years, released some absolute bangers, peddling what is now, a modified blend of hardcore, metalcore, punk, thrash and something in between. What they have done, is to keep things relatively simple in their song writing and musical style. Over the course of their career, Hatebreed have kept to the (narrow) parameters of their chosen sound. In essence, you know what you are going to get when you buy a Hatebreed album.

And the same is true, to an extent, with new album ‘Weight Of A False Self’. The tried and tested guitars chugs of Frank Novinec and Wayne Lozinak is clear and present alongside Matt Byrne’s syncopated double bass drums, switching from slow downed hardcore pit spinners, to double time punk blasts all covered with Jasta’s distinctive hardcore growl. It’s all very familiar, well played and heavy…but there are some distinctive difference here and there. The punk phases seem more punky (if that makes sense?), the heavy chug-fests seem to buckle under their own weight and no more so that on album highlight ‘Dig Your Way Out’, which is an old fashioned thrash banger with hardcore stink all over it. Then halfway through, it all slows down and the guitars take on the gravity of a small planet that will turn your bones into dust and flay your eyebrows into the sink. It’s a welcome change of tempo and one of the heaviest things Hatebreed have ever committed to tape. ‘Invoking Dominance’ is also afaire volte-face if you will, from their previous output, that meanders, somewhat cautiously, into melodic territory before quickly scurrying back to more familiar surroundings. You can feel that the band, whilst more than aware of their fervent fanbase and what’s expected of them, are attempting to explore different musical touchpoints, whilst appeasing the old school.

For that, you have to commend them, but you also have to give the band kudos. Hatebreed do Hatebreed really, really well. On festival afternoon support slots and headlining shows at clubs, they are a weapons grade act, capable of wreaking chaos and havoc, and remain, to this day, a potent live force. If this album figuratively represents the band stretching their legs a little and exploring new ground, then that can only be a good thing. I am conscious that a few of my reviews of late seem to be straddling the fence somewhat, leaving my arse looking like a porcupines wet dream, but I am always trying to fight my way through the urge to either love or hate something, leaving the middle ground a burnt, desolate waste ground. Reading this back, it seems like I am damming Hatebreed with faint praise, but that’s not the intention at all. The point I am making here, is that Hatebreed are a good (probably great) band that have ploughed/mined a particular musical furrow for years and reaped the rewards for that. But I see nothing wrong in doing something and doing that something with aplomb. This new album though, I suspect, is a thinly veiled attempt at breaking new ground, and that is a good thing indeed.

(8/10 Nick Griffiths)

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