ALBUM REVIEW ~ HATEBREED ~ 'WEIGHT OF THE FALSE SELF'

I'm Music Magazine, Hatebreed, Jamey Jasta, Weight of the False Self, Instinctive Slaughterlust, Weight of the False Self, Cling To Life, Nuclear Blast

Metal and Hardcore legends, Hatebreed are back with their eighth studio album Weight of the False Self. For over two decades, the brutal five-piece have been tearing up stages across the globe with their aggressive blend of New England Hardcore and Thrash Metal. Coming on the heels of 2016’s The Concrete Confessional, an album that contains one of the most successful songs of their career, the expectations from the metal community were high for this album. To say that that Hatebreed exceeded those expectations would be quite the understatement. Weight of the False Self will likely be hailed as one of the best metal records of 2020. The album is thirty-four minutes and fifty-one seconds of sheer intensity and is just the type of album that the metal scene has been thirsting for to help us cope with such a tumultuous year.

The album kicks off with the most recent single, “Instinctive (Slaughterlust).” This is the perfect track to open the album with. There is no slow-building intro to ease us into this experience. This song is balls to the wall from start to finish. While it doesn’t stray too far from the formula the band has been known for, this song will undoubtedly be a fan favorite and even introduces the fans to a brand new word, slaughterlust, to add to their vocabulary. The song, and the word, seem to refer to being able to instinctively find inner strength within yourself that you may not have known was there to help through challenging situations. This positivity is nothing new for fans of the band as Hatebreed have always incorporated motivational messages in their music.

With no time to catch your breath, the band takes us straight into the next song “Let Them All Rot.” This song definitely incorporates more thrash elements and is sure to incite circle pits all over the world when the band returns to touring. The next track, “Set It Right (Start With Yourself),” is definitely one of the standouts of the album. The lyrics deal with looking inward and “making peace with the mirror” because real change starts within yourself.

Next is the title track, “Weight of the False Self” which serves as the first single from the album. This song is likely to become one of the biggest anthems of the band’s career. Boasting one of the catchiest guitar hooks paired with some of the most memorable lyrics on the album, this one is sure to resonate with listeners.

From here, we get into my personal favorite track from the album, “Cling to Life.” This song deals with overcoming personal losses and learning to find a reason to carry on despite those losses. Lyrically, this is definitely one of most emotional works that we’ve seen from Jasta and it’s sure to strike a chord with listeners. Additionally, this song sees the band embracing even more metal elements with a beautifully executed guitar solo near the midway point that could easily fit into any 80’s metal ballad.

Overall, Weight of the False Self finds Hatebreed taking a proven formula and executing it to near perfection. This album has all of the classic elements that fans have come to expect. It contains motivational lyrics, brutal hardcore breakdowns, and huge anthems. However, while staying true to their sound, the band have continued to push boundaries and seamlessly bridge the gap between hardcore and metal. The only thing that could possibly make the listening experience better will be when we finally get to see them perform live. In short, using the famous words of Jamey Jasta, this album is HAAARRRDDD!!!!! Be sure to check it out. It’s being released on November 27th through Nuclear Blast Records.

I’m Music Magazine Writer Jason Jarvis