Hatebreed - The Concrete Confessional (2016)

Whether you call them Hardcore or what the kids term “power violence” Hatebreed have always been a favorite act of mine. Compared to their previous albums, The Concrete Confessional sees the band going in hard and fast, like a loaded burrito from Taco Bell. Additionally, most of the songs on this record aren't even so much as three minutes long, with “Something's Off” being the longest at nearly four minutes in length. As a fan of these guys for several years, I can definitely say that this is a return to their burly hardcore roots and these songs are filled with enough angst and protein powder to put a foot right through your front door, and a fist-shaped bullet right to your face. Most of the lyrical content is quite empowering, much like the kind of music you'd want to listen to in order to prepare you for a fight. Jamey Jasta really tears through these pieces, whether they're fast-paced or stew in their anger and you really don't need me to tell you that. If you think that for some reason Hatebreed have slipped a little and wished that they'd go back to their ass-kicking hardcore anthems, then The Concrete Confessional is for you. I wouldn't consider this disc a very metal-influenced one like some of their past discs, but it seems like it was time to bring us back to Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire or Perseverance. To be honest, this record reminds me a lot of Perseverance, which is where I cut my teeth on these guys and “I Will Be Heard” in particular. I don't think there's anything that catchy on here save for maybe “Looking Down The Barrel Of Tomorrow” or “Something's Off” which actually uses some clean vocal influence. There's not much in the way of guitar solos here either, but most hardcore fans won't care one way or the other. The disc is positively fucking brutal and full of the harsh lyrical content and vocal delivery that Jamey Jasta has always been known for. The disc is only about thirty minutes long, but it packs a punch that hits so hard you'll feel it for days to come. Trust me, when you spin this one once, it won't be the last time. With tracks like “A.D.”, “The Apex Within” and “Serve Your Masters” it's definitely the kind of record that I feel is filled with positive messages of enlightening rebellion. The Concrete Confessional is very definition of hardcore and a great representation of the genre in 2016. Definitely give it a listen.

(13 Tracks, 33:00)

8/10