This album has grown on me. I vividly remember hating it, but upon giving it a second listen it strikes me as a rather safe, but competent album. It's predictable nature plays to Escape the Fate's strengths. Whenever they have tried to branch out of their corner of cookie cutter metalcore/post-hardcore in the past the results have varied. Craig Mabbit is still no word smith, his lyrics are as "gym bro" as ever and the songs have line I said a predictable song structure, like "Just a Memory" which is as by the numbers Escape the Fate as it gets, sith a low budget Linkin Park chorus sprinkeled on top.
That being said, when Mabbit puts in the effort he is capable of creating memorable choruses, a flaw their last few albums had in spades, promising songs that never stuck the landing as they either tried too much or too little. Like the albums anthemic closer "Let Me Be" which easily could've been the worst track on the album if Mabbit hadn't put in the work. Instead of another mediocre Escape the Fate ballad, "Let Me Be" comes off as an ernest attempt at a mid tempo ballad with a great chorus to boot, despite it's misplaced gang vocals. The same can be said for "Les Enfants Terrible", the albums mandatory "Guillotine-like" breakdown-song, which yes, has enough guitar squeels to fill a whole album, but we look past the standard Escape the Fate grievances, it is quite enjoyable
Overall, Hate Me suprisingly satisfying. Escape the Fate have reeled themself in and create a consistantly enjoyabld record. The glitch effects are mostly gone, the exessive use of over produced screams are drasticly reduced and the guitar solos are riled in to fit the songs instead of trying to compete with DragonForce. That being said, there are still songs like "I Won't Break" that I'd describe as an instamt-skip, which showcases Escape the Flaw's flaws on full display, uninspired melodies, forced breaksdowns and misplaced shredding. Then again, no Escape the Fate record have been without their fair share of duds, but on Hate Me it really seems like they tried.
Stay away from the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition of the album though, it becones quite clear why they were cut from the album.
