Band:	Hatebreed
Album:	Weight Of The False Self
Style:	Hardcore, Metalcore
Release date:	November 2020

01. Instinctive (Slaughterlust)
02. Let Them All Rot
03. Set It Right (Start With Yourself)
04. Weight Of The False Self
05. Cling To Life
06. A Stroke Of Red
07. Dig Your Way Out
08. This I Earned
09. Wings Of The Vulture
10. The Herd Will Scatter
11. From Gold To Gray
12. Invoking Dominance

Can you put your false self on weight watchers?

Better late than never is an appropriate phrase, especially when applied to Hatebreed's latest offering, which had been delayed owing to that pandemic thing. The hard-hitting, brutal but optimistic hardcore that is the fare of the band is a much-needed shot in the arm with Weight Of The False Self as the year slowly comes to a close. The band's eighth offering is a consistent and fun affair that will give you what you want and give you that energy boost you need in times like these.

Anyone unsure of or unfamiliar with Hatebreed are thrown in the deep end immediately, with Weight Of The False Self hitting you straight you out of the gates with "Instinctive (Slaughterlust)", kicking off a high-energy and adrenaline-fuelled ride through an album of aggressive and hard-hitting metallic hardcore that the band have made their own. Some of the more standout tracks on this album would be "Set It Right (Start With Yourself)", "A Stroke Of Red" and "Wings Of The Vulture", although you could pick any of these tracks and not be disappointed.

Weight Of The False Self offers little revolutionary or new in terms of changes in style; it does offer fans more quality material to sink their teeth into which isn't a bad thing. The band match the bar they have set for themselves with their prior works in terms of consistency, but the album does miss those peaks here and there with a truly great moment to add to their list of truly great songs. Much of the songs on here do however sit comfortably in the upper mid-section of their back catalogue.

When I mentioned earlier that the band offer little revolutionary or new, it was because "Invoking Dominance" is the exception to this rule. The closing track is a razor-riffing track that gets faster as the track goes on; starting off with a brooding and menacing introduction, it builds into a mid-tempo stomper before speeding up further into a hardcore crescendo. Given that it's only a few seconds over three minutes, it is a semi-condensed epic but stands out from the standard fare, still within the same realms but pushing against the boundaries.

Hatebreed retain their distinctive metallic hardcore sound and amplify it with their tightest and sharpest production yet. Lozinak and Novinac's guitars have a tone and power that is enviable, turning tracks like "The Herd Will Scatter" into barnstormers and adding a cutting edge to the blunt blow that is the band's hardcore approach. Beattie and Byrne get a fatter sound that the rest of the band bounce off of, slamming the music against your eardrums as the guitars and vocals pierce right through; "From Gold To Grey" is a formidable track as a result.

In terms of negatives, Weight Of The False Self suffers more from what it doesn't have rather than what it does, with no single track or moment sticking out as solely negative. What is missing, however, is that stand out track, the one that challenges for the title of Hatebreed's best song. The album doesn't do anything wrong but it just doesn't have one of those songs. As would also be a given this far into this write up, if you are not a fan of the band's sound then this album will do little to dissuade you other than offer up a slightly more metallic take on their sound than has been provided up to this point.

If you are a fan of the band then Weight Of The False Self will be another solid addition to your collection and one that will earn its place on your record player for regular replays. Though it could use a few more moments here and there, overall it is a highly enjoyable listen and one that deserves to be listened to whole.