>>PREVIEW
HATEBREED
Friday, October 20
MacEwan Hall (U of C)
"We make noise."
There are no surprises when it comes to the passionate, confrontational nature of New Haven, Connecticut hardcore heroes Hatebreed. Guitarist Sean Martin readily admits that. Currently on tour in support of the band’s fourth full-length effort Supremacy (their first for metal mongers Roadrunner), the band – vocalist Jamey Jasta, bassist Chris Beattie, drummer Matt Byrne and recent addition guitarist Frank Novinec–make no bones about what they do.
They play hardcore.
"Well, and metal," corrects Martin. "Once we started playing with Slayer and Slipknot we crossed over to being called a metal band more than a hardcore band. But our roots are firmly planted in hardcore with a twist of metal in there. I’ve heard (all different labels) but whatever it is, we’re just a hardcore band from Connecticut playing aggressive music. We hold our stuff down, we know who we are but we don’t care about the tag. Besides, all of those genres mean the same thing. It’s heavy-assed music. We’re not like, ‘no way!’ if someone thought we were metal. Unlike a lot of other bands, Hatebreed is populist, not elitist."
A furious effort in keeping with the band’s domineering output, Supremacy is everything one would expect from the quintet – a bold amalgamation of heavy metal low-end riffing with steady hardcore chanting and breakdowns. Naturally, Jasta’s lyrics continue in the steadfast tradition of personal strife sifted through a greater hope for the positive. Sure, that may sound moderately conventional by album number four, yet it’s this stability and dedication to their craft which makes Supremacy strong. It’s a new "old standard."
"We know who we are," beams Martin. "Why would we want to change who we’ve been since the start? That doesn’t mean we don’t push boundaries though. Sometimes a riff is just so bad-assed, you’ve gotta use it, even if it’s different. Maybe I’ve been listening to a lot of Napalm Death and come out with a thrash riff. Really, who cares? Does it move you? Good."
Martin masks his frustration. When it comes down to Hatebreed, people think too much. They pick apart something overt and direct, looking for something that isn’t there, which is dangerous when dealing with such a straightforward genre. Even he finds himself having to take a step back and reflect.
"Sometimes we have to remember that this band is serious about music but the whole thing should be relaxed. We have business to do, but we just like to hang out and follow our own direction. We’re hellbent on having fun because music is our escape from the craziness of life. Music is how we get the aggression out. If you forget that, you lose the blessing of being in a band. It can be hard in a band, but there are lot worse jobs out there."
Martin may downplay the controversy surrounding Hatebreed, the inescapable popular addiction to chastising their "same old, same old," but it is an obvious point of contention, dogging his conversation. Constantly blending description and justification reveals his obvious need to remind all of the band’s mantra for heavy music more than anything else. However, after 13 years of reliability and uniformity without predictability, why should it matter?
"Good question," he laughs. "It’s just part of being in a band, I suppose. You’re always on the defensive against people who say you’ve changed too much or not enough. The only thing that really matters is that we’re proud of our legacy and Supremacy is the strongest piece of that so far. We’re honing our craft. Hatebreed is about consistency and staying within the confines of Hatebreed – not writing a ballad or something. We make bad-assed hardcore records." |
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