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Hatebreed: The divinity of purpose
15/02/13 || jaimeviejo
The good news is that Hatebreed is back again with a new album, and that means a new tour and another chance to see live one of the most energetic and honest hardcore/metal bands out there. The bad news is that the release of another Hatebreed album continues being business as usual but this time with a slightly different album cover and content too. Since 2002 the band has been alternating yellow cover art with grey ones. This album cover, while being dark, still contains some colors, but not yellow. I don’t know if this was done on purpose, but the inclusion of two color tonalities means that this is one of the most balanced albums in their career and the one that completely establishes the band as a hardcore/metal hybrid.
It is hard to hate on Hatebreed for the same reasons it is hard to hate on AC/DC, Cannibal Corpse, Slayer or any other band that sticks to their sound with minimal variations. The question is: Who are we to criticize a band for not changing their own sound when they are the best at it?
As Jasta said about the new album, this is “all pit, no shit”, and he really meant it. All the songs contained here hit you hard and there is not a single moment to rest. The songs range from fast hardcore stompers like “Indivisible” to mid-tempo metal break-necks like the Amon Amarth-inspired “Dead Man Breathing”. While the production is modern and exhausting, it is the right one for this band and it could not be recorded another way. The guitars are thick and have detail, especially when the palm muted riffs come in. The drums, while mechanical, are not over triggered. The bass is integrated nicely into the mix and has a few spots where it shows like in “The Divinity of Purpose”, and the vocals command the orchestra without being overwhelming.
Besides the album opener, my favorite songs were “Before the Fight Ends” which is a smashing mid tempo with invigorating gang chants, the old school “Indivisible” and “Bitter Truth” because of the opening riff. It is true that the album is missing a hymn like “I Will be Heard” but still the overall level of the compositions is very high, and there are no bad or boring songs in here. This is probably the point where their mixture of hardcore and metal has reached its peak. An album where the tiny details borrowed from other genres are integrated in an imperceptible way.
The Divinity of Purpose won’t change anybody’s opinion about the band. Instead it is going to make the haters hate more and the lovers love even more. At the end of the day, you don’t buy bacon expecting it to taste like chocolate right?
- Information
- Released: 2013
- Label: Nuclear Blast
- Website: www.hatebreed.com
- Band
- Jamey Jasta: vocals
- Wayne Lozinak: guitars
- Frank Novinec: guitars
- Chris Beattie: bass
- Matt Byrne: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Put It to the Torch
- 02. Honor Never Dies
- 03. Own Your World
- 04. The Language
- 05. Before The Fight Ends You
- 06. Indivisible
- 07. Dead Man Breathing
- 08. The Divinity of Purpose
- 09. Nothing Scars Me
- 10. Bitter Truth
- 11. Time to Murder It
