Album Review: Hatebreed - 'The Divinity of Purpose'

Hatebreed are one of those bands you can just about set your watch to. Since 1994, they’ve consistently churned out balls-to-the-wall metallic hardcore with a seething “fuck you” attitude and in-your-face energy. On the Connecticut outfit’s sixth studio album, The Divinity of Purpose, the guys once more deliver brutal mosh moments en mass without any unnecessary embellishments.

The quintet may have had a few lineup changes over the years but they’ve always stuck to their guns and resisted the urge to cave in to passing trends and fads. Equally drawing influence from classic thrash metal riffs and old school punk, The Divinity of Purpose sees the band refining its snarling brand of hardcore while remaining adamant at mixing things up too much.

Frontman Jamey Jasta has a knack for penning lyrics that aren’t just about heartbreak, defeat and other hardcore clichés. “Sometimes standing for what you believe means standing alone,” Jasta shouts during ‘Honor Never Dies’, an early highlight with its tour de force delivery and message of empowerment. His tormented growls are straight from the heart, and when he’s backed by roaring gang vocals on tracks like opener ‘Put It To The Torch’ and ‘Before The Fight', we’re reminded why Hatebreed are still leaders, not followers, in today’s burgeoning hardcore scene.

Wearing their influences on their heavily tattooed sleeves, Hatebreed continue to appeal to both the hardcore and metal crowds by mixing up elements of both genres. The intro riff to ‘Dead Man Breathing’ is straight out of the Slayer textbook, meanwhile ‘Indivisible’ leans more towards straight-up hardcore punk with its anthemic chorus.

While Hatebreed have a trademark sound nailed down like a coffin, there are a few subtle stylistic shifts here some fans may pick up on, most noticeably Jamey Jasta dropping any attempts at clean singing this time around (the clean vocals on the band’s previous eponymously titled album were a bit cringe-worthy at times).

Hatebreed’s searing rage continues to burn brightly after many years in the game. Rather than mix things up too much, the band has focused on simply writing the most memorable and malicious songs possible for album number six. There’s some decent stuff to mosh to here. Two thumbs up.

1. Put It To The Torch
2. Honor Never Dies
3. Own Your World
4. The Language
5. Before The Fight
6. Indivisible
7. Dead Man Breathing
8. The Divinity Of Purpose
9. Nothing Scars Me
10. Bitter Truth
11. Boundless (Time To Murder It)
12. Idolized And Vilified