Posts Tagged ‘agnostic-front’

Hatebreed, ‘The Divinity of Purpose’ – Album Review

Razor + Tie Hatebreed are back in a big way in the form of ‘The Divinity of Purpose,’ the Connecticut mosh ‘n’ stomp hardcore band’s first disc for new label Razor & Tie. It’s anthemic, full of sing-along choruses and lyrical declarations, chunky riffing, battering ram drumming and more breakdowns than an insane asylum. It’s a totally moshable affair, comprised of tight, efficient and make-their-point-and-move on songs. The album opens with the blazing ‘Put It to the Torch,’ with frontman Jamey Jasta inviting you to burn off everything that threatens to take you down. It’s followed by ‘Honor Never Dies,’ which sounds like it could have fit nicely on the band’s 1997 full-length debut ‘Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire’ or even the 2002-issued follow up ‘Perseverance.’ It’s a true first-pumper, reminding you that “Sometimes, standing for what you believe / Means standing alone.”  The unity that hardcore bands often pay lip service to takes actualized sonic form on ‘The Divinity of Purpose.’ On ‘Own Your World,’ Jasta asks, in robust, communal sing-along fashion, “Who’s got more heart than you?” and we can just imagine ‘Breed pits erupting with fists in the air, karate kicks being thrown and every person, regardless of their age or gender, singing along, declaring, “Fists up / Head high / We own the f—ing world tonight” –   further proof that Hatebreed know how to construct a deep groove and a catchy chorus. ‘The Language’ begins with Slayer-inspired riffing, and is somewhat similar to ‘Doomsayer’ from ‘The Rise of Brutality,’ with its somewhat more complicated guitar work. But it’s still moshtastic just the same. ‘Dead Man Breathing’ has a similar construction, as well. At 12 tracks, ‘The Divinity of Purpose’ is subcompact and makes its points and moves on. It’s quick pacing, and short, shotgun-blast songs, make it the type of record you blast in the car on a road trip. But you might want to be careful, since the fury in the songs will find you stepping on the gas pedal a little heavier and you might end up with a ticket for your troubles. Other stand out tracks are the razor sharp ‘Before the Fight,’ where Jasta barks, “End the fight / Before the fight ends you,”  or the old school punk rager ‘Indivisible,’ which borrows a little, homage-style, from Agnostic Front. The title track boasts some vocal effects, which help Jasta’s message rise to the top. Hatebreed have been delivering choppy, boot-to-the-throat moshcore for nearly two decades and they have returned to their signature, simple but slaughtering hardcore style, with an uplifting message on the album, as it is what made them one of the crucial bands of the ’00s. You can kick up dust in the pit and then just chill out with a frosty beverage afterwards, since a ‘Breed record always fully cleanses you of any anger or aggression you may have. If that ain’t sonic therapy, we don’t know what is.

Serious Van Accident Forces the Acacia Strain to Drop Off Co-Headlining Tour With Veil of Maya

Rise Deathcore act the  Acacia Strain have been forced to leave their co-headlining slot on their tour with Veil of Maya after a “serious” van accident injured band members and crew. The Acacia Strain have just informed fans through their Facebook page that a van accident has ended their run on the current tour. The band was scheduled to play another handful of dates with co-headliners Veil of Maya, along with Upon a Burning Body, Volumes and Twitching Tongues. Although this comes as bad news for fans, the good news is that nobody was killed or extensively injured by the crash. The Acacia Strain posted  the following statement: It comes with heavy hearts and sadness to announce that The Acacia Strain will be leaving their Co-Headlining tour with Veil Of Maya due to a serious van accident. Members of the band and crew are being treated for minor injuries, nothing serious. Frontman, Vincent Bennet commented: Canceling tour dates is something we hate doing but we will make it up to all of you. We are all very grateful to be alive and will see you in the New Year.” As of now, the band is still scheduled to be a part of Hatebreed ‘s 2013 European ‘Persistence’ tour, which also features Agnostic Front and H20, among other strong opening acts.