Album Review: Hatebreed - 'Fatal Paradox'
Thrash-heavy and seismic, Hatebreed’s newest addition to their vast and rich history continues their lineage of gritted teeth and vicious pacing through yet another sharp and concise eleven tracks on ‘Fatal Paradox’.
Hatebreed are undoubtedly a Mount Rushmore hardcore powerhouse. After releasing their first two albums, ‘Under the Knife’ and ‘Satisfaction is the Death of Desire’, they set the 90s hardcore scene ablaze and cemented themselves as an all-guns-blazing mainstay for this cornerstone of heavy music. It would appear that their new release sets out to lay the very same precedent that each previous album had before it. ‘Fatal Paradox’ is a torrential and constant barrage of thrash-inspired riffs and classic fast-paced hardcore, keeping to the very same formula that has kept the band so virile and grounded throughout their tenure as a band. This project sees Hatebreed take their scrappy yet poignant sound and pull nothing but blistering raw energy from its core, creating eleven tracks of unwavering brutality.
The album starts strong on its feature track ‘Kill Count Increase’. Rooted in what the band do best, ‘Kill Count Increase’ chops and changes between thunderous and rapid gallop riffs and intrusive, thudding breakdowns, creating that familiar and patented Hatebreed feel; that miasma of chaos and broken noses is immediate as this opening track creates that live show environment, introducing threatening blast beats and derisive, scornful rasping vocals from Matt Byrne and Jamey Jasta, respectively. The A side marches through a plethora of equally prodigious sounds, each showing off their vast skill set, with tracks like ‘Charion Choir’ keeping to the belligerent and hasty pace of the title track throughout. This track really pushes the boundary of just how much a fretboard can take over the course of a couple of minutes, hammering through galloped chords like a bat out of hell, and only now am I starting to realise why this band all wear sweatbands so often. There are also plenty of tracks displaying the opposing side of the coin, like this album’s title track ‘Fatal Paradox’. If ‘Charion Choir’ is a machine gun, then ‘Fatal Paradox’ is a rocket launcher. This pounding and truly furious track is one perpetual, belligerent breakdown, accompanied by spite-filled screams and chugs galore. This track is crafted especially for the band to watch people simulate murder at their live shows, as its constant flow of low, claustrophobic chords harbour jolts of energy behind every strike. This kind of track is a true Hatebreed special, and any heavy music enjoyer will be truly hard-pressed to find another band that can replicate even a modicum of the musical attitude contained in some of these blunt-force tracks.
The B side of this album is much of the same destructive formula as the former, truly hammering home the very ethos and style of Hatebreed. This project feels simple and rooted in familiarity in a world of sometimes unnecessary expansion; it's beautifully calming to know that an ol’ reliable like Hatebreed will always be there to blow your scalp off with beautiful fury. Whether it's 1996 or 2026, the mission remains exactly the same, and these bands act as true pillars of the genre. The first track of the B-side, ‘sacrifice season’, amalgamates the two distinct styles of all-out attack and creeping, spine-shattering breakdowns in a perfect medley of everything Hatebreed. This track is also accompanied by a truly fantastic vocal guest in the form of Obituary’s John Tardy, making for a beautiful clash of styles that propels this song like rocket fuel. This hybrid style approach to composition is layered all over the second half of this album, with tracks like ‘Make the Demons Obey’ and ‘Truth is a Lion’ acting as shining beacons of the entire Hatebreed arsenal. Finally, this album closes out on a real treat, a cover of Corrosion of Conformity’s ‘Poison Planet’. This cover leans perfectly into the very essence and influence of the band, taking that mid-80s unsure yet steadfast sound and beating it into submission, creating an incredibly consistent and vast sound that, like Corrosion of Conformity, would go on to span decades of nosebleeds.
This project truly is Hatebreed in their rawest form, and despite all of the tough riffs and lyrics, this album really speaks to the humanity of the band. It is truly magnificent to hear them continually speak to their individual issues and issues of the wider world at large; be it to the masses on stage or in the words of their songs, they remain truly human, and it shows through every note. With eleven new tracks in the bank, Hatebreed set off to do what they do best: break stuff all around North America on both their headline tour and their support slots for Slayer and Turnstile. The sheer variety of audience and adaptability Hatebreed have on stage is astounding, so whether you're a die-hard OG or a Slayer fan looking for an adrenaline spike, get out there, get involved, and try your best to keep your teeth in your mouth when the pits start moving.
Words by Josh Pook
