With
Sepultura
-like vocals and ferocious,
Slayer
-style guitar riffs, these scary-looking, tattooed dudes from Connecticut have successfully crossed over from the
hardcore
scene to the
metal
scene, touring both with
Ozzfest
and
. Lyrically, they are definitely an
East Coast hardcore
band, with song titles like
"Empty Promises"
"Betrayed By Life."
Aside from being straight-edged, betrayal is the singular theme, for whatever reason, in
and among all the zillions of bands that have copied that style. But
Hatebreed
's music is more influenced by
death metal
, or at least the bands that are more accomplished within that genre, because these guys can play their instruments. The drums, bass, and guitars all sound like a well-oiled machine churning out a massive sound. The vocals also have a more menacing,
metal-like
quailty. The result is one furious album, heavier than anything
has done in a decade. ~ Adam Bregman