Hatebreed has done a lot for the music industry in popularizing hardcore metal. Jamey Jasta has worked his ass off to get where he is today – touring with the likes of Entombed, Soulfly, Motorhead (yes, Motorhead) and Danzig in recent years. Last year the band released the highly acclaimed EP Perseverance, and I must admit, a lot of it wasn’t too bad to listen to. Naturally Hatebreed is a band one cannot live off, the limitations of metal-core are only seen too well as many tracks slowly blend into one.
 
But over the last seven years since the band first formed, Hatebreed have indeed ripped sh#t up (metaphorically speaking) – and quite violently too may I add. So now comes The Rise Of Brutality, the title aptly citing the bands accomplishments to date (and don’t let Phil tell you otherwise.) Sure Hatebreed aren’t innovative – they’re not pushing the boundaries of the genre, they’re not doing anything clever, but they’re here – and they’re beating the mainstream’s lifeless, shattered corpse into the dust with heavy hitting, stripped down and difficultly digested metal. 

So straight up, if you like big guitars, if you like a violent, abrasive vocal style, if you like hardcore, you should indeed like Hatebreed. Oddly enough however, some tracks manage to hold a certain rhythmic appeal in their brutal metal groove. The first single off the album This Is Now demonstrates as such. The song itself is just a series of screams and mid tempo downtuned guitars, but Jasta has managed to instill a certain energy and flair into some of his work.

Simple, violent, short and sharp full bodied metal swings are taken in tracks like Tear It Down and Choose Or Be Chosen – both being under two minutes in length. Slower tracks however like Facing What Consumes You and Doomsayer provide slower metal grooves, with almost guitars-al-a-Slayer-God-Hates. Beholder Of Justice however boasts a vicious grinding double bass and vocal mix to sidelined power metal groove.

My fear however, is that Jasta and his boys are running out of ideas – at least in the riffology department. Compare if you will for me the main riff of Another Day Another Vendetta with the chorus riff of A Lesson Lived Is A Lesson Learned. Indeed a matter of concern. Other near misses come in the tracks Straight To Your Face – in which a sadly clichéd chorus despoils a faster borderline hardcore punk track (funny how Superjoint-like the track is, ain’t it? *Hobo self he will not be dragged into a discussion about Phil claiming to bring metal back to hardcore*) – Facing What Consumes You and Live For This.

Just like Slayer’s God Hates Us All, Hatebreed consciously focuses on the basics, not bothering to dress up the tracks’ ‘meaning’ beneath ‘words (they) don’t even f#cken know.’ (K.King) In each track, Jasta’s message is almost too clear. I do however give credit to Jasta for his refusal to be confined to negativity in his lyrics – in tracks like A Lesson Lived Is A Lesson Learned Jasta envisions freedom, opportunity and personal growth through strife rather than mindless nihilism.

The album itself is only a little over half an hour in length – a wise move indeed, for although the album is not ‘bad’ in any conventional sense, Hatebreed can only be taken in small doses. If you liked their previous album, if you like Superjoint Ritual or if you’re a fan of (slightly) more commercial hardcore, then Hatebreed would be a worthy addition to your collection. Though more intelligible and demanding metal fans should steer well clear, as well as any individuals with a tendency to rip apart a band on the grounds of its
‘psuedo-brutal’ musical stylings. 

And I can bet any of you, the pit at one of their concerts would be f#cking insane. Anyone who can check ‘em out with Slayer on Jägermeister, do so. (For the record however, Kerry really wanted to grab Chimaira, Lamb Of God, Arch Enemy or  Killswitch for the tour, but hell, Hatebreed are as good as any. Well not really. Well, I’ll just shut up now.) 
 

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