ALBUM REVIEW: Fatal Paradox – Hatebreed
Has it really been six full years since the last HATEBREED album? The Connecticut bruisers haven’t exactly been quiet and have been a staple of the live circuit this entire time, but it’s still a shock to the system to realise how long the gap has been. And yet, even with over half a decade to evolve, Jamie Jasta and the boys have completely failed to develop their signature sound. Fatal Paradox could have come out the day after The Weight Of The False Self, it’s just the same thing all over again.
That’s a positive point, by the way. Fatal Paradox is yet another collection of pummelling riffs, bowel-loosening bass, and shouting. Lots and lots of shouting. It’s a record driven by sheer, life-affirming positivity, where their ever-likeable frontman bellows motivational quotes at full volume for the entire running time. The 2026 incarnation of HATEBREED might as well be identical to the 2020 equivalent, and Fatal Paradox rules. It’s unlikely to win many awards, but sometimes it’s just nice to hang out with your mates and find out they haven’t changed at all.
The short, punchy opener Kill Count Increase is an instant classic. It’s a barnstorming slice of metallic hardcore with a catchy chorus and more chug than the Great Western Railway. The adrenaline filled The Carrion Choir is equally entertaining, Total Invincible is more manly than Dolph Lundgren’s workout montage in Rocky IV, and Make The Demons Obey is a deliriously over the top, thrashy number.
It’s all incredibly familiar, but it works. There’s a brief venture into slower territory on the call and response title track, plus an undeniably cool cameo from OBITUARY’s John Tardy on Sacrifice Season, but that’s about the extent of the surprises. It’s not a very long album, but the choruses are memorable, the riffs are chunky, and there’s very little we can complain about. The cover of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY’s Poison Planet is also a nice reminder that even after a decades-spanning career, HATEBREED remain fans of heavy music.
Yes, you could take all the records that HATEBREED have released since The Rise Of Brutality, toss them into the air and rearrange them in the order they land in without any noticeable difference to the listening experience, but in their case, that’s a strength. Fatal Paradox is proof positive that there’s no reason to change a formula if the one you have works perfectly. Let bands like BLOOD INCANTATION expand your mind, HATEBREED are here to get your charging into a mosh pit with a big smile on your face. This is loud, grin-inducing, good time heavy music and Jasta sounds like he’s still enjoying every second, despite the fact he’s rapidly approaching 50. You already know if you like this or not.
Rating: 8/10
Fatal Paradox is set for release on November 6th via BLKIIBLK.
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