Hatebreed
Supremacy

THE REVIEW

Hatebreed are not a band capable of particular “evolutions.” They are a “steamroller” band, whose main objective is to scream all their anger while continuing to stay true to themselves despite the risk of seeming one-dimensional (although I think they couldn't care less). With the end of 2006, it's time for a new album release, which indeed confirms what I just said. The five shady characters from Connecticut have consistently been able to produce albums of great impact and violence for over a decade, garnering a large fanbase and kickstarting the so-called “metal-core” phenomenon.

With this “Supremacy,” the band does not disappoint; rather, it satisfies all those who expect from them a healthy dose of violence and anger in full hard-core style. The album opens with "Defeatist", the song and single of the album, which seems to be one of the most successful and continues along the same lines with songs like "Horrors of self" and "To the Treshold". Killer riffs and screamed anger without much fuss or finesse, this is the formula that remains constant for every Hatebreed album. Unmissable are songs like "Destroy Everything" which, with an immediate and catchy chorus, seems made for the live dimension, where the group is really remarkable, to be sung at the top of one's lungs along with the audience. In short, Hatebreed do not change their approach by a single iota and probably from a band like this, whose objective is certainly not to innovate with every album release but to remain true to their line, it's right that it should be so. After participating in various Ozzfest, touring with people like Slayer, and the frontman James Jasta hosting the show Headbangers Ball on MTV2, they have reached a nice dose of fame earned with effort.

The album is not particularly exciting, especially compared to its predecessors, but if you “frequent” the genre, it is right to support this band that puts so much passion into what it does and never disappoints.