Weight of the False Self

Album review

Almost a quarter of a century after the release of their first album, should listeners be expecting any surprises? The answer is no. This is mostly because the band are not about surprises, but also because their fans demand only one thing: that the group led by Jamey Jasta deliver their unfalteringly energetic metal-soaked hardcore and unfailing anger as if it were their first demo. And the tattooed rockers from Connecticut know just how to go about doing this. For the eighth time, Hatebreed deliver another album using their perfected formula which has worked so well and continues to hit the mark. With their memorable riffs (often played using palm muting, the preferred technique for thrash music) and screamed vocals borrowed from punk and vintage hardcore, their music is impeccable but never void of groove (yes, hardcore and metal can groove too). The band have been using this formula for years without much change, but it remains effective and works on each of their albums even if some select studio recordings have not been so impressive. Weight of the False Self is a record that will be remembered for its stage-adapted content, made to rile up crowds with constant stagediving and mosh pits as everyone jumps along in unison. Such occasions are provided in songs like the powerful Instinctive (Slaughterlust) and A Stroke of Red. In addition to these strong but customary moments are some more old-school, even thrash, flavours, like the excellent Dig Your Way Out, The Herd Will Scatter and From Gold to Gray. Both massive and savage, these songs make the second part of the album a lot more intense and passionate, freeing us in two riffs from the monolith that is the first six songs. It’s the perfect dose of chaos to better appreciate the more melodic intro to the last songs before returning to a sound more suitable for headbanging. Thrashing our heads about to the rhythm is evidence that we are captivated in the music. Hatebreed continue to maintain their immovable status within the genre, cultivating an image as the AC/DC or Slayer of hardcore. They are loyal to the genre and work to defend it all while conserving its link to metal (from whom it borrows its sound and riff-playing). It’s all we can ask for from a band of this calibre whose anger and violence remain untarnished after all these years. © Chief Brody/Qobuz