There are a couple of bands where I literally stop what I’m doing and pay complete attention when I hear they have another album coming out. Hatebreed are one of these, and I first heard wind of The Concrete Confessional a couple of months back. The date went into my calendar and I sat hitting refresh on my mailbox day after day waiting for the promo copy to come through.
It dropped in at the end of last week and I’ve not listened to anything else since.
The first thing to note is that Concrete Confessional is definitely a touch heavier and slower in a lot of places than I’m used to from Hatebreed. It’s a slight step in a different direction without losing hold on the trademark sound which makes them so damn good. The songs are, on the whole, that little bit more brutal – or maybe it’s that I’m still getting that new, just-opened, enjoying-it-for-the-first-couple-of-days kick in the teeth you can always look forward to from Jamey and the boys!
Opener “A.D.” is where hardcore meets thrash. I honestly don’t think Hatebreed have ever penned a faster song. Ever. EVER. This is the kind of track you play halfway through a live set just to laugh at how exhausted it’ll make people. The opening two verses could have been birthed in the Bay Area while the latter half of the track is more slower, darker material. Essentially, it batters the living hell out of you then crushes you slowly.
You’ll almost certainly have heard “Looking Down the Barrel of Today” already – if you haven’t then the video is below. It’s probably the most “Hatebreed” of the songs on the album and was definitely the right pick as the lead song/first “single”. The choral chant “No Sleep, No Rest… That’s what it takes to be the best” is typical of the positive message blended into so many of the band’s most famous songs. Then there’s the repeated “Once I had a shotgun to my head, they said I wasn’t worth the bullet” lines which build and build before the track explodes. The simple riff. The pounding beat. This song is Hatebreed.
“Seven Enemies” is a seeming non-stop rant – I don’t think Jamey pauses for breath until the end. It’s a fairly slow number – Chris and Matt’s bass and drums pretty much run the whole show from beginning to end. It’s all about rhythm. The floodgates open again with “In The Walls”. While “Seven Enemies” will have hands raised, this one will cause serious damage on the dancefloor. While it does have the standard slow sections backed by furious damage to the bottom strings of Frank and Wayne’s guitars, it’s the furious flurry in the first half that many will be looking forward to experiencing. The walls referred to in the title refer to Jamey’s own experience with sleep paralysis and night terrors.
Something slightly different in “From Grace We’ve Fallen” which falls in between the two extremes we’ve encountered before. Not as fast as some, not as slow as others, it also has some good backing vocals overlaid on a harmony. I don’t recall hearing anything like this from the band before (please do correct me if I’m wrong!) – it’s probably the most melodic thing they’ve ever done in those . “Us Against Us” is back into fast and furious territory again, and is one of the best-sounding tracks on the album where every member gets a chance (even if it may be only for a few seconds, such is the furious pace) to demonstrate their part. The bass is wonderfully clear even in some of the faster sections, there are some nice flurries on the guitars and the lyrics are the kind of angry we know and love from this band.
“Something’s Off” is the longest track on the album, clocking in at a shade under four minutes. This makes it nearly twice as long as some! It’s a “bouncer”, designed to have a crowd jumping up and down in unison and raising their fists as they shout “OFF! OFF!” If Hatebreed did radio friendly then this would be it. This isn’t a criticism at all, but another demonstration of their musical range in a genre which is often decried for being too niche for many. Jamie even sings on it as well as barking his trademark venom! I think partly due to the length, it’s the most complete track on the album. The running time gives the band a chance to explore more structure than they get the with the other short-fire numbers.
Intro of the album, perhaps alongside “Looking Down…”, goes to “ When” for that simple word: “Go!”. It launches one of the catchiest yet simplest songs on the album. A definite headbanger rather than a pit-starter, it begins frantically and ends on a much doomier note. “Slaughtered In Their Dreams” contains the longest guitar solo on the album clocking in at a whopping twelve seconds. Yeah, well, that’s not what Hatebreed is about! The lyrical theme seems to be regarding the deaths of children and how we, as a race, can allow this kind of thing to go on – I’d assume it’s an anti-war anthem with a very dark and hard-hitting message.
“The Apex Within” has an unusual “Wo-ah-oh-ah” refrain to get a crowd to warm up their throats. Don’t know the words? Sing this instead! Of course, you may be struggling as the song is another one which will have sweat (and possibly blood) running into your eyes. “Walking The Knife” is another “life can be a bitch – just kick it and overcome” song, something that the band are justly famous for and should be proud of. It’s a great work-out song for getting the anger and adrenaline pumping – something I look for and expect on a Hatebreed album.
Back to old school fast-paced brutality with “Dissonance”, a damning shout at those who want to take without giving anything in return. I guess this could be taken as a political rant, a general social one, or even aimed at individuals in general. For the last track, things slow down a bit in counterpoint to the blasts of “A.D.” “Serve Your Masters” is a call to arms with plenty of opportunity to raise arms and yell back.
The Hatebreed album I judge all others on is Hatebreed from 2009 (blimey – is it that long already?) and Concrete Confessional doesn’t quite hit those heights for me – but it’s a very different album. It’s still bloody good and after listening to it over and over for the last couple of days I can already feel it growing on me. I think what I need to is to hear a few of the songs live. So, if someone could organise a decent UK tour taking in Glasgow at the earliest opportunity then that would be great – thanks!
Standout tracks are “Looking Down the Barrel of Today”, “Walking The Knife” and “Us Against Us”. “Something’s Off” is bubbling under.
The Concrete Confessional is out on Friday 13th May, 2016.
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