HATEBREED Weight Of The False Self | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

 

Released by Nuclear Blast on November 27th, 2020

Quick Background

Hatebreed is an American metalcore band from Bridgeport, Connecticut, formed in 1994. Until now they had released seven studio albums, the latest being The Concrete Confessional in 2016 which I considered a good album. Their musical style blends influences from hardcore punk and heavy metal. They are considered important to the development of metalcore. I personally enjoy Hatebreed quite a lot, their concerts are always very energetic and fun. They exhibit the energy and attitude of the hardcore scene, but their guitars are quite metallic, to me it's a great balance. 

Weight Of The False Self

Weight Of The False Self is Hatebreed's eighth, full length album. The 12-track album clocks in at 35 minutes. This is pretty much their format of choice for many albums. So no surprises there. I'd prefer 10 songs, but no big problem. I have always loved how metallic their guitar riffs sound, particularly in the last two albums. The first single and album opener "Instinctive (Slaughterlust)" brings that feel and it was the right choice for the single as it is one of the best songs on the album. But it doesn't stop there,  I agree that "there’s no shortage of beefy-riffs and adrenaline-fueled-drums on this record". Some of my highlights are "Set It Right (Start With Yourself)" and "A Stroke of Red". The title track is also a good song but it sounds very familiar, something like "I Will Be Heard". There are also some sparkles of difference, like the nice guitar solo on "Cling to Life" or the intro of the longest track (with 3:18) and album closer "Invoking Dominance". Those were modest variations but nice touches. 

Not by coincidence, the album production is no different from previous efforts, as Weight of the False Self was produced by frequent Hatebreed collaborator Zeuss. The album artwork was created by Eliran Kantor who has recently been creating some fantastic covers (e.g. Iced Earth, Havok)

The Picky Guy

Am I a big fan of the self-help lyrics? Not really, but it doesn't bother me too much either. My main problem is the fact that I enjoyed a lot the previous two album because of their crunchy metallic riffs and bass riffs. But Weight of the False Self was a bit of a step back for my taste. But that's just me, it's possible that the big fans of the early albums will enjoy this one more than I did. It's closer to their earlier albums than to the last two.

Wrap Up Opinion 

Overall, you won't find many surprises on this record, and any old timers wouldn't expect to anyways. Weight Of The False Self features all the elements that Hatebreed is known for. In a way, it combines some of the ingredients of the last two records, but rely mostly on the older material. So, it's a good record with some songs that will bring a new flavor to their set-list. I'm giving the album 79 out of 100, a good album for what it wants to accomplish that will work for fans looking for more of the same. If you were not interested in Hatebreed before this release, it won't change your mind. If you want to give them a chance, I'd start with a playlist featuring their live favorites, that's where Hatebreed shine.   

SCORE: 79/100

Genre: Metalcore

Released by Nuclear Blast on November 27th, 2020

Rating System*

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* slightly adapted on May 24th, 2020 due to statistical review
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