Album Review: Hatebreed – Weight of the False Self

Album blows the mind with rich metalcore sound

Connecticut band Hatebreed have been performing since 1994, and on November 27th, the hardcore punk outfit released their newest album Weight of the False Self. The music is amazing; Jamey Jasta’s vocals fill the atmosphere with loud and authoritative sound, Frank Novinec, Wayne Lozinak and Chris Beattie light up each track with deep guitar riffs and Matt Byrne shakes each tune with rapid, thunderous drum beats. Hatebreed delivers on Weight of the False Self because the vocals and instrumentation give listeners a taste of true metalcore.

Blazing “Let Them All Rot” has great guitar playing, with each riff shaking the atmosphere with sonic vibrations. In the middle of the song, Beattie’s bass guitar rumbles in the background with deep hits that create a sensation of nonstop vibrations, and both Novinec’s and Lozinak’s guitar skills shine brightly on this track–each note surges into pleasing riffs that electrify the track with bold sounds. All three guitarists do a great job performing on “Let Them All Rot,” and if fans want to hear a song that has wild guitar riffs, look no further. 

Powerful “Set It Right (Start With Yourself)” is a strong piece because the band encourages listeners to figure out their lives before they start mocking the lives of other people. The words, “Deal with this now or it never goes away/ It might not bring Heaven on Earth but it keeps Hell at bay/ (Start with yourself)/ There’s purpose in the pain, new power to attain/ You’ve turned away before, old ways never open new doors” emphasize how some people should focus on fixing their lives before meddling in the lives of others. Hatebreed makes a bold statement within the lyrics, and fans can learn a lot about themselves through this composition. 

Hard Hitting “Weight of The False Self” is another tune that has great meaning behind it because of what the lyrics stand for. The lines “If you want to make a difference in the world it means/ You have to be different from the world you see/ No victim mindset, raise your standard/ Your true self calls and you must answer” urges listeners to become who they should be. It is a powerful statement, and “Weight of The False Self” bleeds with human emotions.

Booming “A Stroke of Red” is a great example of who Hatebreed is as a band. In metalcore music, guitar playing is crucial because the sound has to capture listeners’ attention. Novinec, Lozinak and Beattie’s guitar playing on this track grabs listeners’ attention effectively, each note generating riffs that tremble the background with ear-bleeding noise. While the music plays on, Byrne’s drum playing is pleasant, repeatedly changing from high to low throughout this composition, and Jasta’s vocals have great authority by how his shouting goes higher each time he chants out the lyrics. “A Stroke of Red” is a good song because of how each band member crashes into each other to create quality metalcore music.

Head banging “Dig Your Way Out” is a fun composition because of how Jasta uses his vocals to create havoc. What is noticeably enjoyable is how Jasta uses his strong vocals to shout out the lyrics, because it feels like he is directly telling people to find their own way out of the darkness they created or got themself into. In some ways, Jasta’s vocals bring a sense of how he wants to help people instead of hurting them as seen through his strong vocal presence, but at the same time, people need to find their own way to beat the dreary darkness. Jasta displays how strong his vocals are on“Dig Your Way Out,” and his talent shines brightly throughout the whole composition.

Mind-blowing “The Herd Will Scatter” has righteous drum playing by Byrne. At the very beginning of this piece, he starts to play a wild drum solo that blasts through the speaker with sheer power, and the thud of the drum heads getting smacked with the drumsticks bring a fast-paced sound. Byrne’s drumming style at the beginning and middle of the song is hard hitting by how fast the tempo is, but toward the end of the song, he is playing on a lower and steadier level. Byrne is a gifted drummer, and on “The Herd Will Scatter,” he shows listeners what kind of a musician he is.

Hatebreed did fantastic work with Weight of the False Self  because the impact from instrumentation and vocals shows how the band will not stop performing dynamic metalcore music.