Trivium Release Their Sixth Album, ‘Vengeance Falls’

Trivium released their sixth album last week, and let me tell you it is a great piece of work from top to bottom. It’s no secret I’m a huge Trivium fan, as I’ve seen them live multiple times and met them on many occasions too. So obviously I wanted to take some time with this record before I reviewed it that way I could form an opinion that was unbiased. That being said I will say that this is one of Trivium’s best records and stands next to  2011’s In Waves, 2008’s Shogun, and 2005’s Ascendancy nicely. The album was produced by David Draiman from Disturbed and Device, and let me tell you he did an excellent job on the production.

The record starts off with the track, “Brave This Storm” which starts with a heavy riff that leads into a more groove oriented riff. This leads nicely into the verse which is sung in a very rhythmic way by Matt Heafy which is definitely a different approach. The chorus then comes in, and this is done in a much more typical way than Heafy’s verse which was rhythmic opposed to flowing. The title track “Vengance Falls” is up next and this track is interesting as you can see the band is further experimenting with layered vocal harmonies, and the guitar playing displayed by Heafy and Corey Beaulieu is excellent. As always Nick Augusto and Paolo Gregoletto are locked on and go beyond the call of duty.

The album’s first video single was up next and this song is entitled “Strife,” and is one of my favorite tracks on the album. The song starts with this riff that is not the most technical, but gets the job done, and sets the ground for the epic riff that ensues. This leads into the verse section which is another interesting vocal performance not typical to Trivium’s music, but it works nicely with the lyrical subject. The verse also features some nice bass playing by none other than Mister Paolo Gregoletto. The chorus comes in next and vocally and instrumentally I love the chorus. Next up is “No Way To Heal” which is another spectacular track that is typical of Trivium, and is one of the best one the album. Again the chorus on this track is excellent.

One of my favorite tracks on the album is the sixth track, “At the End of This War” which starts of with a nice acoustic intro which then blasts off into a full-bore metal track. Heafy’s vocals on this track are also different from what I’ve heard from him.  “Through Blood and Dirt and Bone” is another track where I think the band realized that they love writing music with interesting rhythms.

The ninth track on the album, “Incineration: The Broken World” is one of my favorite tracks on the record, as the band shows their amazing musical skills, especially Gregoletto who put down an awesome bass solo. The Album concludes with the great track “Wake (The End Is Nigh)” which is my favorite on the album as I think it is a great showcase to the bands versatility both musically, and it shows throughout the track, as Augusto, Beaulieu, Heafy, and Gregeletto put down great performances.

Vengeance Falls is a great record that I believe shows the bands great capabilities as musicians, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed this next evolution of the band.

Album Review: The Devil Wears Prada ‘8:18’

One of the best bands to hit the scene in recent year are, The Devil Wears Prada. The band is set to release their fifth studio album 8:18. 8:18 is the long-awaited follow-up to 2011’s full length effort by the band, Dead Throne and 2010’s masterful, Zombie EP. This album picks up were those to works left off, and continues to push the boundaries of what this band is capable of doing. The sound is dark and more mature, and we guarantee you’re in for a great ride from track one through thirteen.

8:18 starts off with the slow-moving synth driven intro to the track “Gloom.” However “Gloom” picks up it’s pace at the 50 second mark when the band comes in and provides a bruising intro. “Gloom” almost seems like a mission statement from the band, telling the listener what they have in store for the rest of the album. The drums, guitars, synth, and vocals work well on this track. The next riff that will hit you is the intro to the second track “Rumors” which is a bruising riff, but it slows downs in the verse which is atmospheric, but we hear the first hint of melody in this tracks chorus.

“First Sight” is the third track on the record, and it hits you like a brick wall from the beginning, but then as the track moves on you hear the song grow into this melodic juggernaut in the chorus. The stand out of this track however are the guitars which are tight, but leave enough room in the mix for the track to breathe.

The next track that caught my attention was the album’s title track, 8:18 which has a beautiful clean intro which is interrupted by vocalist Mike Hranica’s primal screams. The next track that really grabbed me was “Care More” which is a real departure for the band which is awesome. They really mixed it up with this one showing what they can do both vocally and with arranging.

Next thing you know theirs a bell chiming and this signals the intro to the track, “Martyrs” which was one of the first tracks that fans got to hear from this record. This track is great and is a real throw back to the Dead Throne sound that I and TDWP fans love. “Black and Blue” starts with an ominous intro that sends the message that mayhem is about to unfold, and it does and this mayhem continues throughout the rest of the record concluding with the thirteenth and final track, “ In Heart.”

Overall I believe that 8:18 is the next step in The Devil Wears Prada’s evolution. This record is excellent. One of the best metal records of the year.

-B. Harlow

Avenged Sevenfold Pull From Their Influences to Create, ‘Hail To The King’

The metal community came together in 2009 to support Avenged Sevenfold after the death of their drummer, James ‘The Rev’ Sullivan. It was a sad time to be a fan of the band, but the band rebounded quite well with the release of their fifth album, Nightmare in 2010, which the band was working on at the time of the Rev’s death. The drums on the album were completely recorded by former Dream Theater drummer, Mike Portnoy. After some touring they announced a new drummer, Arin Ilejay, would be touring with them. In 2013 they made Ilejay a full-time member, and is now featured on the band’s latest album, Hail To The King.

Hail To The King is very different from the band’s previous work. It has a very classic rock vibe with a lot of their influences displayed prominently throughout the record. It is unclear whether or not this was intentional or not, but some of the tracks are clearly shoutouts to the bands that have influences, Avenged Sevenfold. The first track, “Shepherd of Fire”  is a clear example of this as it sounds like a mix of “Raining Blood” and the bells are reminiscent of Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”

Next up is the album’s title track, “Hail to The King.” The intro to this song this sounds like AC/DC’s “Thunder Struck.” But this new track sounds like Maiden throughout the guitars yet has an Avenged Sevenfold feel due to the vocals provided by M. Shadows. who sounds excellent. This track moves at a steady clip, but could have been brought up several BPM. The guitar playing by Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengance is excellent. Lyrically M. Shadows is on par with many other metal vocalists and lyricists.

“Doing Time” is a great track that reminds a great deal of Guns n’ Roses. I don’t hate it. And Honestly I can say I don’t mind it. Rock needs a track like this to clear out all the crappy radio rock that is played these days (i.e. Theory of a Deadman.) “This Means War” is up next and this track also lends its self well to comparison of other classic metal songs. This song particularly makes one think of the classic Metallica tune “Sad But True.” “Requiem” is the fifth track on the album, and is one of my favorites on the record. It has a very old school vibe which is awesome. It reminds me of “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin in the orchestrated part too.

The next track really slows down, and is entitled, “Crimson Day.”  It’s also one of the best tracks on the record, as it shows that M. Shadows is a great vocalist. And also shows the great melodic guitar playing of Synyster Gates. “Heretic” is the next track on the album, and this one is definitely influenced by another Big 4 band, Megadeth. It sounds without a doubt like “Symphony of Destruction,” write down to the punishing bass line. There is also a part that sounds like Megadeth’s “Hangar 18.” Again I don’t hate it, in fact I quite enjoyed it.

The next track that really caught my ear was the final track, “Acid Rain” which is a beautiful ballad centered around a piano very reminiscent of so many great songs, but the thing is they made it their own and came up with a great song.

Hail To The King, is a great album and will stand side by side with their best work. They have mastered the formula that includes many of their influences and created their own signature brew.

NEVER SAY DIE: Black Sabbath Return With First Album Featuring Ozzy Osbourne in 35 Years, ’13’

Black Sabbath. These two words say so much. They conjure images of Ozzy Osbourne peace signs swinging in the air hoping up and down like a coked up Richard Nixon. Of Tony Iommi standing in place playing the evilest riffs that can be conjured. And Geezer Butler, whose bass tone and style is the gold standard for all of heavy metal.  These three titans have come together with the help of producer, Rick Rubin to release their first new album in 35 years, 13.

13 starts off with the ominous opening riff to the album’s first track “End of The Beginning.”    “End of The Beginning” has a very slow ominous feel to it that is very reminiscent of the band’s eponymous song “Black Sabbath.”  The song eventually picks up and the listener gets bludgeoned by another one of Iommi’s signature riffs.

13’s second track is entitled “God is Dead?” which starts off with a slow instrumental section that sets the mood for the song. This then gets interrupted by another one of Tony Iommi’s signature riffs. You can hear how tight the band is on this riff especially bassist Geezer Butler and session drummer, Brad Wilk. The slow meandering riff comes back again and with it we hear Ozzy’s vocals which sound excellent. Rick Rubin did a great job polishing Ozzy’s voice on this song, as it is spotless in performance. Butler’s bass is super punchy during the verse too, which gives the song a certain movement that is different from Iommi’s guitar playing which is very smooth. The chorus comes in and this is when we hear Black Sabbath as it is meant to be heard with extremely loud riffs. Around the 5:55 the song hits a bridge and this is by far my favorite song as it fits in with the band’s older material like “Hole in the Sky.”

“Loner” is the next track on the album, which is a track about pure alienation, which lyrically is interesting because many of Sabbath’s early songs were about that same topic. The riff in this song is very standard and simple, but it gets the job done.  But where the song really is stunning is towards the middle where it slows down for a short period, but then the band kicks in, and they’re full speed.

“Zeitgeist” is the albums fourth track, and is one of my favorite tracks on the record. The song has a great feel reminiscent of their great track, “Planet Caravan.”  It’s a beautiful track, and Rubin did a great job on the mixing allotting each instrument the correct space in the mix. If there’s anything that would be the polar opposite of “Zeitgeist” it would be the next track, “Age of Reason” which is a riff driven track about the end of the world, but what I love about it is it’s riff which sounds like a number of my favorite Black Sabbath songs got shoved into a blender, and the end result was this track. Tony Iommi’s guitar playing is also something that should be noted, as he provides a very heavy mechanical feel, but still makes the track groove. Wilk’s drumming is also great on this track.

“Live Forever” is another one of those tracks that you just want to bang your head to. The riff has so much groove. It’s a tremendous song, and the lyrics on the track are spectacular too. “Damaged Soul” is the seventh track on the album, and this song sounds like it came straight from 1971. The production on this song isn’t as spectacular as the rest of the album, but the unpolished feel adds to the rustic and true image that Black Sabbath has always portrayed.

“Dear Father” is the last track on the album, and this song is as heavy, as anything I’ve heard even though it’s a slower song in parts, I would say it’s one of the heaviest tracks I’ve ever heard. I love it.

13 is a collection of eight great tracks that bring one back to the 70’s. Rick Rubin said he wanted the album to sound contemporary, but also have a vintage feel, and with this record he definitely captured that vibe. Sabbath is back!

-B. Harlow

Ghost B.C.’s Second Satanic Opus ‘Infestissumam’

Unless you’ve been living under a rock in the hard rock and heavy metal world you know that one of the hottest bands out is the Swedish cult metal favorites, Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. is a masked band featuring  a singer who goes by the name of Papa Emeritus, and a band of ghouls. The band released their debut album in 2010 entitled, Opus Eponymous, which made the band an instant hit among metal listeners looking for something different. Ghost B.C. also got high-profile endorsements from people in the metal scene including Metallica’s James Hetfield and Down front-man  Phil Anselmo. The band also got to play onstage with Down at Download 2011. The band released a stream of their new album Infestissumam this week, and we got to take a listen and needless to say we were impressed by the offering which will be released next Tuesday.

The album starts out with the title track “Infestissumam” which starts off with a choral arrangement that leads into a heavy rock song. This is a great intro track especially, as it sets the tone for the rest of the album. It also leads nicely into the next track, “Per Aspera ad Inferi” which is stylistically similar to their first release, Opus Eponymous. The track moves nicely into the album’s first single, “Secular Haze.” “Secular Haze” is another great track from the band he song starts with an organ riff that sounds like it would be played at a carnival from your worst nightmare. It is soon joined by drums and guitar. Eventually the vocals join, but around the 1:34 mark the song gets very melodic within the music and vocals. Around the 3:15 mark there is a great musical interlude which ends in another verse, which then goes into another chorus, but with this chorus the song ends. This was definitely my favorite track on the album.

“Jigolo Har Megiddo” is the fourth track on the new album, and this track is really cool, as it is a real change-up. It has a real pop feel, but definitely feels like it’s a pop song that would be featured in a haunted house. The next song on the album is “Ghuleh / Zombie Queen,” this song is another favorite from the record because stylistically it is very dark, but has a very 70’s vibe to it. It almost sounds like what would happen if Blue Oyster Cult and Pink Floyd had a musical love child.

“Year Zero” is another track from the album that I really enjoyed. I particularly enjoyed the intro which is capella, and very staccato this lead into a riff that to me, said a lot for such a simple riff. The vocals came in next and this is when the track started to take off especially the chorus which reminded me of early solo Ozzy musically, but vocally it reminded me a lot of King Diamond.

The next track that caught my attention was “Depth of Satan’s Eyes” which is a very doom metal sounding track. I quite enjoyed it though do the riff that was pumping and steady. The final track on the album is titled, “Monstrance Clock” it is a great song especially the guitars thorough out the song and the synth solo.

Infestissumam comes out this coming Tuesday, April 16. You can pre-order it here, and stream the entire album here!

-B. Harlow

Stone Sour Release The Second Part of Their Saga, ‘House Of Gold & Bones pt. 2’

On April 9^th Stone Sour will release the second part of their saga House Of Gold & Bones pt. 2 via  Roadrunner Records. The album package comes in two parts; these pieces will combine to make the House Of Gold & Bones. The band will also be releasing four comic books that will go along with the double album. Eventually singer Corey Taylor wants to turn the concept into a film, but that will be a little further down the line.

House Of Gold & Bones pt. 2 is a very different album from the first album. In fact it shows a very different side of the band which is more ethereal and shows the band’s terrific ability in arrangement. This is shown well on the album’s first track “Red City” which starts out with Taylor on vocals only accompanied by piano. The track eventually gets drums, a grinding bass, and very spacey synth and guitar parts. Then the whole band comes in full force. This is a huge surprise because it all of a sudden turns from this nice composition into a brutally heavy metal song in a matter of seconds. This track then fades into some weird sound effects, but then the listener get introduced to the next song “Black John” which is reminiscent of Stone Sour’s regular sound, but definitely features more of Jim Root and Josh Rand’s excellent guitar playing.

The next track on the album is called “Sadist” now this track reminded me a lot of Slayer’s “Seasons In The Abyss” due to the chord structure, but it definitely is its own song, and it is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album. The lyrics on the track are very emotional, but what I love about the track is how it is mixed with very spacey sounding guitars that almost have as much prominence as the vocals throughout the verse section. I also think this track shows off just how versatile Taylor’s voice is. We all know Taylor can scream really well, but what most people don’t realize is that he is one of the most talented singers in music today. Another thing to mention is the guitar solo which is very middle eastern sounding, and is not based in traditional metal and rock modes.

“Peckinpah” is the next track on the album, and this song is really strange. I didn’t particularly like it because I feel like it was placed wrong sequentially on the album and would do better towards the end of the album

The next track that caught my attention is called ’82 and this track had a very interesting feel to it. Vocally it tells an interesting story, but musically it is like a very heavy pop song especially with the use of the whammy or octave pedal throughout the chorus. I really liked this track and would put it up there as one of the best on the album.

“Uncanny Valley” is the next track on the album, and this track sounds like it came right out of the early 90’s. I really dug the vibe of the track especially its upbeat music.

“Blue Smoke” brings the album back down to the serious level with its orchestral and piano driven. Taylor’s vocals are interesting on this track, as they sound very filtered and almost restricted. It’s a short track, and is followed by the very interesting track, “Do Me A Favor” which is an interesting track because of the vocals are very down trodden, but the chorus sounds like an 80’s pop song.

“The Confligration” is another great song that follows the traditional ballad formula of a soft verse/ loud chorus, but I particularly like this track because Taylor’s voice makes you pay attention to his narrative, and not the simplistic accompaniment.

“The House of Golden Bones” is the final track on the record. To me this final track really packs the punch, and was what I really wanted to hear after the softer tracks. This track sounds a lot like the material on the first part of the album, but that is what makes it a fitting final track for the record.

-B. Harlow

Killswitch Engage Re-unite with Jesse Leach and put out Fantastic New Album, ‘Disarm The Descent’

One of the biggest surprises in the music world was when former Killswitch Engage singer, Jesse Leach re-united with his former band after vocalist Howard Jones stepped down. To many in the music world it was a shock, and also a surprise as Leach and Killswitch guitarist Adam D. had a very successful side project called Times of Grace. Many also wondered what this new/old lineup of Killswitch would sound like. Well now we have our answer, and let me say, I approve. Disarm The Descent is heavy, melodic, and most importantly well thought out.  I also have to point out Adam D.’s awesome production job.

Disarm The Descent start off with a very heavy song called “ The Hell in Me.” At first I was hesitant in liking this track, but then the clean vocals came in, and that’s when the song really started to come together for me.  I would say the track is a strong opener, but very unexpected. The second track on the record is called “Beyond The Flames,” which is a track that I really enjoyed, not only is the accompaniment great, but Leach’s vocals and Adam D.’s vocals sound great. This track is followed by the very heavy, “New Awakening” which is a straight up shred fest, Adam D. and Joel Stroetzel showed their technical prowess throughout the track which was quite enjoyable.

One of the album’s stand out tracks is the fourth track, “In Due Time” which is also the album’s single. The track hooks you in with a very hooky riff,  and then Leach’s vocals come in and draw the listener in more. The chorus comes in next and this features both Leach and Adam D. on clean vocals, and they sound excellent. The track goes on, and again we see how awesome Leach’s very traditional screams mix with Adam D.’s more cookie monster sounding growls. When I was listening to “In Due Time” I  definitely thought to myself at multiple points that this song sounds like something off of Leach and Adam D’s side projects self-titled album, Times of Grace.

Next up is the truly thrash sounding track, “A Tribute To The Fallen” straight from the intro you can tell this is going to be a thrash influenced track, and it is, but it also has a very melodic chorus that loved. The song also featured a part that I thought sounded like Kirk Windstein from Crowbar singing/screaming. “Turning Point” is the next track on the album, and let me just say it was not my favorite track on the album, and felt a lot like filler, and almost like it was a recycled track.

The next track I took note of was the tenth track, “No End in Sight,” which starts off (like many of the tracks on Times of Grace’s Hymn of A Broken Man) with a spoken intro with a riff played under it. The riffing continues into a verse in Leach’s typical sing/scream voice. This is then followed by a very melodic chorus featuring Leach and Adam D. on harmonies. This leads into a more dissonant verse which adds a great deal to the musical structure, as it builds significant tension. The chorus comes in again, and this leads into the typical breakdown, but instead of just palm muted guitars, this is more of a catchier riff that I enjoyed a  lot. This is probably the second best track on the record.

Next up is the track “Always” which is a quite enjoyable song, it features a great bass intro played by Mike D’Antonio. Then the verse comes in, and this song almost is ballad like, but still remains heavy with palm muted guitars. Leach’s vocals are great on this track, and one would find this track to be a very enjoyable listening experience. This leads into the album’s closing track entitled “Time Will Not Remain which is another solid track that is very heavy.

When former Killswitch Engage singer, Jesse Leach returned to the fold, I was a little hesitant to what would come, but with the release of Disarm The Descent I can see that I had nothing to be hesitant about. Killswitch Engage is back!

-B. Harlow

 

 

Misguided Music: Bring Me The Horizon’s new Album ‘Sempiternal’

Bring Me The Horizon have been bringing their unique styling of music to the world since 2004 when they formed in Sheffield, England. The band is majorly successful, and have gone platinum, an impressive feat in today’s economy. The band has been hard at work recently finishing up their fourth studio album, Sempiternal which will be released in the U.S. on April 2^nd. Recently the album was leaked which forced the band to move the date up from the 29^th of April.

Now let me just say that I thought Bring Me The Horizon’s 2010 album, There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It a Secret was a great album with some stand-out tracks like, “Blessed With a Curse” which was a real departure from what one would expect from the band. This album is a lot like that with continual experimentation, but like most things  that fall into that category the experimentation is almost too strange. Take the first track on Sempiternal,  “Can You Feel My Heart.” When listening to this track I got really annoyed with the synthesizer intro, and found myself looking for a more up-beat and heavier intro.  This song would have been better off later in the album. The second track, “The House Of Wolves” would have been a more appropriate track to open the album, and was one of my favorite songs on the album because of its bruising nature. This can’t be said about the next song “Empire (Let Them Sing)” which felt very disjointed I couldn’t decide whether it was heavy enough due to the very ethereal keyboard sounds, but towards the later part of the song the guitars come to the forefront of the mix which gives the song some sense of purpose.

The next song that really caught my attention was one called “Go To Hell, For Heaven’s Sake” which is a great song that is extremely catchy, and let me say that it could almost go on late night radio due to the hooky chorus. On the other hand there are tracks like the next song “Shadow Moses”  is which is just cliché deathcore chugging. This is then redeemed however with the next track, “And The Snakes Start To Sing” which is a very ethereal song, but it’s ambience is what make its great, and the production value on the track is great.  “Antivist” is the next track that was of interest to me, as it is another bruiser in a very straight up hardcore way. This very straight up feel makes the track appealing compared to the disjointed tracks that are a mash up of the band’s more ambient sound and their heavier sound.

Like I said earlier this album is really a continuation of what they started on 2010’s There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It a Secret. But this time the band mixed their two styles and made a great deal of tracks seem like mis-guided compositions. I think the band needs to decide whether or not they just want to make ambient and atmospheric music, or if they want to make heavy music because the mix of the two does not work very well. Again the album has some great tracks, but the tracks that are good are only good because they stick with one genre. I would definitely check out the album, and I’d be curious to hear others opinions on it.

-B. Harlow

Hatriot Hit Mach 10 Speed With Their Blistering Album, ‘Heroes of Origin’

In 2011 many metal fans were overjoyed when they heard that Steve “Zetro” Souza formerly of Exodus had come back with a new project that was straight ahead thrash metal and featured Zetro’s signature nasally snarly. Zetro who has been out of the thrash scene and focusing on other fun projects (AC/DZ, Dublin Death Patrol, Tenet) since he departed Exodus after the release of Tempo of the Damned in 2004. Well he is back and better than ever with the release of Heroes of Origin Hatriot’s debut album.

One of the coolest things in my opinion is that Hatriot along with being the vehicle for Zetro’s return it is also the coming out party for his sons, bassist Cody and Drummer Nick who throw down excellent performances, and let’s not forget the guitar pyrotechnics of Kosta V. and Miguel Esparza who are truly excellent musicians. Zetro definitely was in good company when he recorded this, and it shows by the amazing quality of the finished product.

Heroes of Origin starts off with the track “Suicide Run” which starts off very atmospheric, but this is quickly interrupted by a swiftly down picked riff which starts off the brutal assault on the eardrums this album is. “Suicide Run” is followed by the track “Weapons of Class Destruction” which was also featured on the 2011 demo. This song is very reminiscent of early Legacy recordings when it comes to tempo, but when it comes to lyrics it is a really interesting narrative about the current world we live in. Next up is “Murder American Style” which features some virtuosity in the opening measures, and again Zetro lyrically is on fire when it comes to providing a great narrative of the current state of affairs in America.

The fourth track on the album is “Blood Stained Wings,” and boy when I heard this my first thought was ‘Is this a Slayer song?’ as the verse sounds a lot like “Angel of Death” off of Slayer’s 1986 album, Reign in Blood. But even with the similar sounds I enjoyed the track, but my favorite track on the album was up next. “The Violent Time of My Dark Passenger” is the next track, and believe it or not this was only one of the songs that I felt let up on the attack of my eardrums, but hey it’s a great song. The guitars on the track definitely have an Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson feel, but lyrically the song is more in the vein of Slayer’s “Criminally Insane.”

“Globicidal”   is the next track on the album and this was another track that was featured on the original 2011 demo, but this time it has a much better production value thus making the track easier to listen to. I particularly like the diminished chords at the beginning of the song, but by the time the verse kicked in I felt my listening experience was getting a little monotonous. But then I got a straight dose of why I love Zetro and that is his Exodus inspired music such as the next song “And Your Children Be Damned” which is a clearly taken from a page of the Exodus playbook. But what really gets me on this song is the awesome guitar pyrotechnics in which Kosta V. and Miguel Esparza really run free.

The next track that really caught my interest was “Shadows of The Buried” which has a very slow and eerie intro that made the hairs on my back stand up, and this really drew me into the track which has a really “Seasons in The Abyss” feel to it, but this changes when the song lifts in BPM and Zetro’s vocals come in. Again this song features excellent guitar playing that is very intricate and delicate while still remaining ferocious and cutting. Next up came the closing and title track “Heroes of Origin” which is another straight ahead thrash song that shows Hatriot is maintaining Mach 10 speed.

Be sure to check out Heroes of Origin, as it truly is following the blueprint of everything that makes a great Bay Area Thrash record, and with a resume like Zetro’s, who could argue?

-B. Harlow

Hatebreed’s New Album ‘The Divinity of Purpose’

Hatebreed have been spreading their instantly recognizable brand of metalcore around the world since 1994. The band has had a long career with many line-up changes, but what never changed is the brutal auditory assault lead by the hardest working man in metal, Jamey Jasta. Jasta and crew are back and have provided the listener with a new album consisting of 12 new tracks.

The Divinity of Purpose is the sixth studio album from Hatebreed, and let’s just say that its one of the best pieces of works that has been released in the metalcore genre in a longtime. The first track is called “Put it To the Torch,” and this song definitely shows the thrash influences that make this band so unique in the metalcore genre. The next track on the album is “Honor Never Dies,” and I enjoyed the lyrics on this one as I found them to be very meaningful especially when Jasta says “When your heart is questioned/When your beliefs are tested/Sometimes standing for what you believe/ Means standing alone.”

The next I took a liking to was the fourth track, “The Language” which is another song that really displays the band’s thrash influence, but when you hear Jasta’s vocal you instantly know, it’s Hatebreed. This track was followed by the fifth track on the album, “Before The Fight Ends You.” I particularly enjoyed this song especially for the syncopated Crowbar like riff.

The title track, “The Divinity of Purpose” was the next track that really got me going. I particularly like the bass solo at the front of the song and how it gradually built till the 34 second mark when the whole band launched in.

The Divinity of Purpose is a great record. The band sounds great and they’re righting songs that are 100% Hatebreed.

-B. Harlow