Hatebreed: The Concrete Confessional

Jamey Jasta ups the anger and the ante

Hatebreed

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Since forming in 1994, Connecticut’s metal stalwarts have delivered six threateningly heavy albums, and received a Grammy nomination for Live For This.

Their seventh record wastes no time getting started with the full-pelt drumming and racing fretwork of A.D. As ever, born leader Jamey Jasta is rallying from the frontlines, his gruff but precise shouts driving the lyrics home. Powerful, purposeful, and about as no-frills as it gets, his tone is authoritative and his frustration at corruption, evil, and the broken American dream is palpable. Looking Down The Barrel Of Today is a ferociously chugging track with cunning build-ups and angry gang vocals.

This, Slaughtered In Their Dreams, and the equally meaty From Grace We’ve Fallen are all songs that ache to be performed live. Something’s Off shows Jamie flexing his vocal ability more than usual with exciting results.

Unapologetic, relentlessly angry, and without a filler track to be found, …Confessional is exhilarating to the very last syllable.