Hatebreed formed in 1994 and initially spread their brand of baggy-pantsed metalcore from Connecticut all the way to the western end of Connecticut. Shortly after though they caught the ears of Victory Records, released their seminal album “Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire,” and ushered in the new era of mosh that they continue to this very day. Well, we shit-chugged a gallon of Monster Energy drink, punched a few holes in the wall of our stepdad’s house, then sat down with every one of their records and ranked them all.
So, AWWWWWWWWWWW LET THE RANKING BEGIN!
8. Self-Titled (2009)
Jamey and the boys somehow missed the memo that your self-titled album is supposed to be your first while you’re still in your awkward my-stepdad-said-we-could-practice-in-his-basement phase and not ten years in. I know they say don’t judge a book by its cover but the opposite rules apply for albums. The art on this looks like the designer was getting paid by the number of Photoshop layers they could add and the music has that same “we recorded all the ideas at once” vibe.
Play it again: “Everyone Bleeds Now”
Skip it: “Words Become Untruth”
7. The Divinity of Purpose (2013)
“Here’s to burning out and here’s to fading away – Fuck you both, I just put it to the torch.” Probably the best line on the album and I don’t want to say that Hatebreed is either burning out or fading away on this one but the flames rising off their logo might seem a little dimmer. I may be alone in this but sometimes standing for what you believe means standing alone. I heard that in a song once.
Play it again: “Honor Never Dies”
Skip it: “Indivisible”
6. Weight of the False Self (2020)
2020 was a hard year. And I don’t really mean Covid, the riots, the rise of global fascism, or just the general unraveling of everything decent and sane about society. The worst part was the lack of new music. So it was great that we got a new album from Hatebreed. It was a nice temporary escape from the shit storm but much like a lot of things from 2020, it’s not really something you need to revisit.
Play it again: “Cling To Life” Hot guitar leads!
Skip it: Remembering 2020
5. The Rise of Brutality (2003)
What’s the most badass way to start an album? If you said anything other than a reprise of the mosh outro from your previous album you are dead wrong. Trying to capture the same secret sauce they had on “Perseverance” there are a lot of the same tricks here. Unfortunately, just like how I’m crashing from drinking all that Monster Energy, this album runs out of steam the further on into it you get.
Play it again: “Facing What Consumes You”
Skip it: “Choose Or Be Chosen”
4. The Concrete Confessional (2016)
Dropping an album this good twenty years into your career shouldn’t even be legal. Not resting on their laurels for even a fucking second this is their most overtly metal album with a variety of influences on full display. There are moments of both ‘80s thrash and ‘90s groove metal and actual flesh-melting solos making this their most musically diverse album. Oh, and what’s that? They forgot to bring the mosh? Try again, motherfucker.
Play it again: “A.D.” and “From Grace We’ve Fallen”
Skip it: “Walking The Knife”
3. Supremacy (2006)
Five angry white guys screaming the word “supremacy” in 2023 would probably be unadvisable but in 2006 it was forgivable. Limp Bizkit once had a cringe-tastic hit with “Break Stuff” which I would assume is about being a full-grown ass adult who has no impulse control and throws a temperature tantrum over a slight inconvenience? Hatebreed seems to set those clowns straight with how to actually do it here with “Destroy Everything.”
Play it again: “Divine Judgment” “Destroy Everything” “Give Wings To My Triumph”
Skip it: Being a Limp Bizkit apologist
2. Satisfaction is the Death of Desire (1997)
I mean, I mentioned it in the intro so of course it was going to be in the top 2. A lot of the olds out there would tell you this is their best album and they really have a strong argument. For better or for worse (in some cases much worse) this was the album that gave the world metalcore. This is surely the soundtrack for many old hardcore dudes who find themselves crowd-killing in their car alone while inching along in traffic on the way to their soul-crushing bullshit job (hypothetically speaking.)
Play it again: Yes
Skip it: No
1. Perseverance (2002)
Vin Diesel jumping out of a plane with a snowboard attached to his feet while guzzling a SoBe energy drink so he can somehow defeat the bad guys in “XXX” while “I Will Be Heard” plays in the background is the peak moment of the 2000s and maybe even just human history in general. The production of this album is in that sweet spot of being just raw enough to give it street cred while actually mixed well enough so you can hear everything. Jasta loses the negativity to his lyricism from Satisfaction and switches gears to become the hardest motivational speaker you’ve ever seen. Fuck you, Tony Robbins.
Play it again: Every hard second
Skip it: That embarrassing sequel to XXX Vin Diesel did