It has not even been ten years since Hatebreed released their debut 7”, Under The Knife, but since then everything has gone at light speed for the band. They released a full length on ‘hardcore major label’ Victory Records, they toured with bands like Slayer, played the Ozzfest in the US and with The Rise Of Brutality the happy fellas from Connecticut release their second album on Universal Records.

I didn’t like their previous album, ‘Perseverance’, so I was quite sceptical when I first heard their latest effort, but the band has managed to prove me wrong, because The Rise Of Brutality simply rocks. Compared to the last album, the sound is less metal and more hardcore, although thrash and death metal still leave a definite mark on Hatbreed’s music. The production is super-heavy but clear, and Jamey’s vocals are aggressive but well understandable.

Songs like “Tear It Down” and “This Is Now” feature the slow beat downs Hatebreed made name with, while songs like “Facing What Consumes You” and “Confide In No One” are much more in a Born From Pain-metal core vain with lots of chugga-chugga guitars and rolling double-bass drumming. Other highlights for me include soon-to-be hardcore anthem “Live For This”, which is centred around the catchy chorus, and “Another Day, Another Vendetta”, which is a lyrical tribute to SOIA-classic “Just Look Around”.

Songs like “Doomsayer” can only lead to absolute carnage on the dance floor when Hatebreed hits the road for their next tour, and I already dare to predict a worldwide increase in the sales numbers of guitar E-strings and an unusually high number of vacations to tropical destinations booked by dentists. Ha, think about that!