Review Summary: Songs that smash you in the face.... repeatedly. And repetitively.
Hatebreed.
The word in and of itself carries so much meaning to so many different people. The band could be labeled as hardcore, metalcore, moshcore, or just straight up metal. Ever since their inception they have been either passionately hated or adored. This album has done nothing but heighten both those feelings. With Supremacy, Hatebreed dished out a half-hour assault of the same monotone metal that they served up on their four previous albums. Since they released Under the Knife, Hatebreed really hasn't done anything new.
Supremacy is no exception. Admittedly, there are a few catchy songs and this CD spun through my player for a good week or two before I replaced it (given I was fourteen and in love with moshcore). The band does well at conveying power and in all honesty, the songs makes you want to stand up and smash something to pieces. That's what Hatebreed does well. Creativity and ingenuity is what they lack. Strangely enough, Hatebreed is good at HOW they make music, not exactly what the music is.
Excepting Jamey Jasta's vocals, the band does have noticeable talent. Chris Beattie can hammer out pounding bass lines just as good as the next guy and the drums are really powerful, especially on "Immortal Enemies". The guitarists aren't all that spectacular; the lack of solos and intense picking is typical of the genre, but still something that would be interesting to hear Frank Novinec and Sean Martin take a shot at. What they are good at however, is the thick and crushing riffs they hammer out by the gallon. But as mentioned, they get old. Catchy but repetitive: the pitfall Hatebreed constantly finds itself in. As for the comment I made before, Jamey Jasta has what I consider a more than decent tough guy hardcore yell. But like everything else on the CD, it's so incredibly monotone that if I was forced to listen to the whole thing start to finish, I'd be searching for a noose to end the agony by track five.
The saving grace of 'breed is their powerful lyrics. Whereas a large percentage of metal focuses on depression, anger, rage and surrender, Hatebreed chooses to grab defeat by the horns and pulverize it. The liner notes of the album are filled with Jamey's testimony (or whining depending on how you look at it). Once again however, this good thing is used and abused on EVERY song on the album. One of my favorites on the album - "To the Threshold" - contains lyrics about refusing to be beaten down and rising back up to strike back at the oppressor. "Spitting Venom" refuses to conform to anything and declares "I'll spit my venom in the eyes of your world". The openening track "Defeatist" starts the album into overdrive and doesn't cease until the final second of the CD. The song lashes out against those that simply give in to opposition and refuse to fight for what they believe.
In conclusion, Hatebreed plays good music and every now and then, they put out a really catchy song. But as said numerous times in this review, it's repetitively endless. The same stale choruses on top of the same chugging riffs over noticeable bass lines. Good for a couple days until the monotony starts to melt your brain. Pick this one up, however, if you're a fan of the band that Hatebreed describes "As Diehard As They Come".
