Six years without a new Hatebreed album, and they’ve returned with enough breakdowns to make up for every minute of it. Fatal Paradox, the band’s ninth full-length release and their first since 2020’s Weight of the False Self, is a relentless assault of huge riffs, pounding drums and Jamey Jasta’s unmistakable aggressive vocals. There’s absolutely no easing you into this one; from the opening seconds, Hatebreed go straight for the throat, and for the most part, they don’t let go.
Of course, Hatebreed have never exactly been known for subtlety, and they’re hardly going to start now. For a band that has spent decades building its reputation on a tried-and-tested formula, there’s something to be said for knowing exactly what works, however you do start to wonder how many times they can pull the same trick before it loses some of its impact. Thankfully, there are some genuinely impressive moments here that prove Hatebreed can still surprise you without having to reinvent themselves.
Opener “Kill Count Increase” goes straight in with full force with meaty riffs, barking vocals and naturally, a crushing breakdown. It’s pretty much everything you’d expect from them, and that same aggression runs throughout the record. “The Carrion Choir” has one of the album’s more memorable choruses, and you can already imagine a crowd shouting the words back at Jasta during a live show. There’s also some seriously heavy bass work on “Decisions Become Destinies”, which makes an immediate impact before the rest of the band comes crashing in.
What I found interesting though, is that some of the strongest moments actually come when Hatebreed slow things down a little. The title track, “Fatal Paradox”, has that familiar anti-establishment attitude, but the heavier mid-tempo approach makes it more of a headbanger than an outright sprint. It’s one of the moments where the band seem happy to sit in a groove rather than constantly building towards the next breakdown, and I think the song is much better for it.
“Still a Threat” is another personal highlight, and probably one of the best examples of this. There’s a really bouncy feel to the track, with some particularly strong drumming from Matt Byrne. The kick drums give it a real punch, and the guitar solo works much better here than on some of the other tracks. It’s still very much Hatebreed, but there’s enough going on to make it stand out.
The guitar work has its moments too, particularly on “Truth Is a Lion”, which has a brilliant riff running through the verse. There’s an almost Kreator-esque edge to it in places, and it was one of the few moments on the album where the guitars genuinely made me stop and take notice. “None Left to Save” is another standout and, being the longest track on the record, there’s a lot packed into it. The guitar following the vocal pattern in the chorus is a nice touch, but for me, it’s the filthy, heavy breakdown halfway through that really sells it. Just when you think the song is winding down, another enormous riff comes in, followed by yet another breakdown and some harmonised guitars towards the end. It’s a lot, but somehow it all works!
There’s also “Sacrifice Season”, featuring Obituary frontman John Tardy, which brings something a little different to the album. His harsher, screeching vocals work surprisingly well alongside Jasta’s usual delivery. It’s not a massive departure from the Hatebreed sound, but it’s a welcome change and gives the track something that separates it from the rest.
And I think that’s where my biggest criticism of Fatal Paradox comes in. There’s absolutely no shortage of heavy riffs, pounding drums or breakdowns, but after a while, some of the songs do start to sound a little too similar. You can almost predict what’s coming next: riff, chorus, tempo change, another riff and, of course, another breakdown. It’s a formula that’s worked for Hatebreed for decades, and I’m certainly not suggesting they need to completely change their sound, but across a full album, it does become a bit repetitive.
Tracks like “Total Invincible” and “Make the Demons Obey” suffer most from this. Neither is necessarily a bad song, and the latter actually opens with a crushing riff that hits straight in the face, but there’s just not enough to make either of them particularly memorable. When you’ve already heard several tracks following a very similar structure, another massive breakdown isn’t always enough to make you sit up and take notice.
That’s what makes songs like “Still a Threat”, “Truth Is a Lion” and “None Left to Save” so enjoyable. They don’t stray dramatically from the usual Hatebreed sound, but each has something that gives it an identity of its own, whether that’s a particularly good riff, a stronger groove or something a little different in the arrangement. It shows that the band don’t necessarily need to reinvent themselves to keep things interesting.
Overall, Fatal Paradox is unmistakably a Hatebreed album, and for long-time fans, that’s probably exactly what they’ll want. It’s aggressive, it’s heavy, and there are several tracks that I can imagine going down an absolute storm live. There’s plenty here to satisfy anyone wanting another dose of crushing riffs, hardcore aggression and songs seemingly designed to start pits.
It doesn’t reinvent Hatebreed, and at times it feels almost too comfortable sticking to the same formula, but I don’t think it needs to be anything other than what it is. When Fatal Paradox gets it right, it really does hit hard.
Fatal Paradox is out now on BLKIIBLK Records. Pick up your copy for your location on this handy catch all link from the band!
