Band:	Hatebreed
Album:	Supremacy
Style:	Hardcore, Metalcore
Release date:	2006
Guest review by:	omne metallum

01. Defeatist
02. Horrors Of Self
03. Mind Over All
04. To The Threshold
05. Give Wings To My Triumph
06. Destroy Everything
07. Divine Judgement
08. Immortal Enemies
09. The Most Truth
10. Never Let It Die
11. Spitting Venom
12. As Diehard As They Come
13. Supremacy Of Self

Reigning supreme.

One of the rare times an album title says all that needs to be said about its contents, Hatebreed's Supremacy is an album that highlights just how the band would separate themselves from the pack and explain why they lead from the front. An even scarcer moment is that you realize one of the best metallic hardcore albums is imbued with a sense of optimism and determination that makes you want to build yourself up rather than tear things down (well, except for one track anyway).

The common trope in cartoons is for someone down on their luck to be picked up and have some sense slapped into them by their friend. Supremacy is the audio equivalent of this, though the slap is replaced with a sledgehammer blow to the face. Though I am not a doctor and can't comment on the efficacy of such things, I can at the very least say this is workout music at the least. From the urgings to look within yourself to find inner strength in tracks "Mind Over All" and "Supremacy Of Self" et al, this may not be a self-help book in the traditional sense but damn, does it get the adrenaline pumping to get you off the sofa.

If you haven't fallen in love with the album by the end of "Destroy Everything" then, aside "As Diehard As They Come", I can't say the album is for you as these seven tracks serve as the highlights of the album. Each song is a great example of metallic hardcore done right and are setlist staples to this day. Speaking of "Destroy Everything", it should come with a public health announcement before being played; if you want a track to incite a mosh pit then put it on and stand back, if it's not bolted down it's going to be moving in quick order.

While Jasta spits out self-help mantras imbued with viciousness and conviction, he is supported ably by the rest of the band, who create a crushing yet catchy soundtrack that will get you moving and moshing. Martin and Novinec create some great riffs that will have you slamming and headbanging harder than a Joe Wicks workout; see "To The Threshold" and "Destroy Everything" to experience this phenomenon yourself. Byrne and Beattie may be relegated to pushing the foundation song forward, but it is not to say they don't add to this album; they add the weight to the wrecking ball that gives it its devastating impact.

While there are no outright bad tracks, there are some that are of lesser quality than the rest of the album. Songs like "Divine Judgement", "Spitting Venom" and "Immortal Enemies" are a few steps below the rest of the album and feel less than rather than equal to/greater than the material around it. They are still worth a spin but while not filler by any stretch, they don't have the same meteoric impact as the rest of the album. Where I can understand this album offers little in terms of variation, Supremacy sidesteps this issue by offering up some of the best material of the bands career; improvement can be just as refreshing as a new twist.

Proving themselves a band to be taken seriously and not counted out, Supremacy does what it says on the tin.