Hatebreed | |
|---|---|
 Hatebreed at Reload Festival 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | Icepick |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | hatebreed |
Hatebreed is an Americanmetalcore/hardcore band fromBridgeport, Connecticut, formed in 1994. The band released its debut albumSatisfaction Is the Death of Desire in 1997, which gave the band acult following. The band signed toUniversal Records and releasedPerseverance in 2002, which hit theBillboard 200. The band is described to combine elements ofhardcore andheavy metal. They have played a major role in the Connecticut hardcore scene.
Their songs often feature motivational lyrics, powerful and "bruising" riffs, and an overall "beatdown hardcore” sound.[1] Their song “Live for This” was nominated at theGrammys in 2005 forBest Metal Performance. The group are also known for their live performances,[2] and have gone through multiple line up changes but lead singerJamey Jasta has remained a stable throughout the band’s tenure. Their 8th and most recent albumWeight of the False Self was released in 2020.
Hatebreed was formed in 1994 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The founding members consisted ofJamey Jasta the frontman, Chris Beattie on bass, Dave Russo on drums along with Larry Dwyer Jr and Wayne Lozinak as the guitarists. This 5 piece began by recording a three-song demo and selling it to locals in 1995 and those songs would eventually be released on a split7" with New York's Neglect in the same year. They followed that with the highly acclaimed EPUnder the Knife scheduled to come out on Big Wheel Recreation in 1995 but then was self-released 1996, and went out on tour around the east coast/midwest supporting UKHC bandVoorhees.[3] That same year seen the departures of Larry Dwyer Jr and Dave Russo. The following year with an almost an entirely new lineup the band released their debut albumSatisfaction Is the Death of Desire onVictory Records, then the home of some of the biggest bands in American hardcore.Satisfaction sold more copies than any other debut in the history of the record company. The album is viewed as classic in both the hardcore and metalcore genres.[4][5] They then took part in theWarped Tour in 1998. During the late 1990s and early 2000s Hatebreed went through many lineup changes, with Jasta and Beattie being the two mainstays. They continued touring heavily during this time joining theTattoo the Earth tour in 2000 and making their first appearance atOzzfest in 2001.[6] That same year longtime drummer Matt Byrne joined the band.
Their tours withheavy metal bands such asSlayer,Deftones,Entombed andNapalm Death influenced their music and brought them to the attention of many non-hardcore fans. These influences were apparent on the band's next two releases. First was 2002'sPerseverance, which became the band’s first to chart on the Billboard 200 peaking at number 50.[7] The album has gone on to receive high praise highlighting its powerful riffs, Jasta's commanding vocals, and excellent production, making it a streamlined and brutal listening experience.[8][9] This was also the bands first release underUniversal marking their major label debut.[10] They then went on a in support of the album including their second appearance at that years Ozzfest, appearing on theOzzfest 2002 live album.[11]
The following year seen the release of their 3rd studio albumThe Rise of Brutality which charted even higher on the Billboard 200 debuting at number 30. This album is viewed as a pivotal album in Hatebreed's discography showcasing a tighter, more focused version of their metallic hardcore sound. Critically, reviewers were largely impressed with the album's unrelenting aggression and motivational lyrics.[12][13] Once again they went on a extensive touring schedule for the album including taking part inThe Unholy Alliance Tour in Europe withSlayer,Slipknot andMastodon. In December 2004, it was announced that Hatebreed was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the47th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles for their song "Live for This", which appeared on their albumThe Rise of Brutality. The award was ultimately given toMotörhead for their cover of theMetallica song "Whiplash".[14]
In June of 2006, Hatebreed went on an extensive European tour which included a performance at theDownload Festival in Castle Donington, UK. Immediately following this European tour, they played the main stage atOzzfest 2006 alongsideDragonForce,Lacuna Coil,Avenged Sevenfold,Disturbed, and co-headlinersSystem of a Down.[15] The band's fourth album,Supremacy, was released in August 2006, their first throughRoadrunner Records, featuring new guitarist Frank Novinec (who had previously spent time playing withRingworm,Terror, andIntegrity). Jasta described it as an "all-out onslaught of completely adrenaline-charged, in-your-face brutality".[16] The album debuted at number 31 on the Billboard 200 and became their first to chart in top 100 in 7 several countries outside the US.[17][18] It was met with mostly positive reception,Blabbermouth.net wrote “The bottom line is that you will find in "Supremacy" exactly what you would expect from HATEBREED. Though not as memorable as the excellent "Perseverance", the album largely succeeds at giving the fans what they want.”[19]
On September 13, 2006, former guitaristLou Richards committed suicide at the age of 35; he had played onSatisfaction Is the Death of Desire andPerseverance before leaving the band in 2002.[20]
Hatebreed headlined the second stage on the 2007Ozzfest tour. Hatebreed appeared atWacken Open Air festival in 2008 alongsideIron Maiden,Children of Bodom, andAvantasia. In April 2008, Hatebreed signed a worldwide deal withKoch Records.[21] On February 9, 2009, guitarist Sean Martin quit the band.[22] Sean quit the band to pursue other interests in music that are more studio-related. However, Sean remains close to and in contact with Hatebreed members. This resulted in the return of founding guitarist Wayne Lozinak. In May of that year they released a cover albumFor the Lions which featured covers of other hardcore bands likeSick of it All andAgnostic Front. On September 2, 2009 they released their first concert DVD, titledLive Dominance which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard DVD chart.[23]
In 2009, the band releasedFor the Lions on May 5, a studio record consisting of covers of songs by artists that have influenced the band's development. Artists covered includedMetallica,D.R.I.,Crowbar, andCro-Mags.[24] Also in the same year, Hatebreed's sixth studio album, a self titledHatebreed, was released on September 29. The record debuted at number 37 on the Billboard 200 and was met with positive reception.[25]
In 2010, Hatebreed participated in the third annualMayhem Festival, alongside3 Inches of Blood,Shadows Fall, and other bands.On February 17, 2011, it was announced that Hatebreed would partake in the fourth annualMayhem Festival to yet again headline theJägermeister stage for three dates only.[26] In 2012 the band went on Australian tour alongside the Cro-Mags andBiohazard, They also held a celebration tour for the 10th anniversary of their albumPerseverance.[27][28] Hatebreed also got to play on the 2013 Vans Warped Tour in Australia alongside bands likeParkway Drive,The Offspring,Simple Plan,The Used,We Came as Romans, Man Overboard, H2O and many more, as well as the United Kingdom Warped Tour alongsideCoheed and Cambria,Rise Against,Enter Shikari,Flogging Molly,Like Moths to Flames, The Wonder Years,Sublime with Rome and much more.[29]
Their seventh studio album,The Divinity of Purpose, was released on January 25, 2013, in Europe and on January 29 in North America. The cover art was done byEliran Kantor (Testament,Sodom).[30] The album became their highest charting on the Billboard 200 peaking at number 20, it also charted at number 1 on theUS Hard Rock Chart.[31] Along with the chart success the album was met with generally positive reviews,AllMusic's James Christopher Monger, the reviewer characterized the record as "Meatier and more hardcore-centric than their last offering.”[32] In 2014 they embarked on a Latin America tour alongsideNapalm Death. They went on a co-headlining North America tour with theButcher Babies that went into 2015.[33]
Hatebreed released its eighth album,The Concrete Confessional, on May 13, 2016. The album debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200 and charted even higher inBelgium,Austria andSwitzerland. Like many of their previous albums it received positive reception, keeping up with the style they are known for.[34][35]
Hatebreed was announced to take part on the 2017 Vans Warped Tour, as they appeared on the Monster Energy Stage alongside other bands likeGwar,CKY,Carnifex,Municipal Waste,After the Burial,Silent Planet,Anti Flag and many more groups rounded out the lineup. Hatebreed also toured extensively in celebration of two of their albums anniversary’s dubbed the “20 Years ofSatisfaction Is the Death of Desire & 15 Years ofPerseverance” tour which extended into 2018.[36] They also embarked on the EMP Persistence Tour alongsideMadball and Terror.[37]
In 2019 they embarked on a 25th anniversary tour.[38] After touring the early part of 2019 withObituary,Cro-Mags,Terror, andFit for an Autopsy, Jamey Jasta said the band would spend the second half of 2019 writing and recording a new album.[39]
The band's ninth studio albumWeight of the False Self was released on November 27, 2020.[40][41] The album was met with positive reception, Regarding the work, Dom Lawson of Blabbermouth.net said that "This is their strongest album in over a decade and the perfect antidote to looming grey skies."[42]
In the summer of 2021, Hatebreed, along withTrivium, served as an opening act forMegadeth andLamb of God on the "Metal Tour of the Year". Hatebreed replacedIn Flames, who were forced to withdraw from the tour due to international visa issues caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[43]
The band continued touring holding a 20th anniversary tour forPerseverance.[44] In the summer of 2023 they held a European tour titled the “European Slaughterlust” which featured band such asUnearth and Terror as support.[45] In 2024 Hatebreed embarked on a 30th anniversary tour which included a special Home State show, titled "The March Metal Matinee" which was held on March 17, 2024, at theToyota Oakdale Theatre inWallingford, CT. It featured bands such100 Demons and Shadows Fall.[46] On November 13, 2024 Hatebreed split from founding member Chris Beattie in a 2025 interview Beattie stated it was "completely unexpected." Adding “it was not my decision to leave the band. Someone saw an opportunity to get me out of the picture, and that's where I am now."[47]Matt Bachand was then chosen as his replacement on their tour dates.[47]
Hatebreed is currently working on a new album, which is tentatively due for release in 2025.[48][49] In June of 2025 guitarist Wayne Lozinak stepped away during the band’s European tour due to a brain tumor diagnosis. On July 21, 2025 they released new music for the first time in 5 years with the single “Make the Demons Obey” Matt Bachand then took over for the rest of the tour.[50] Lozinak underwent successful surgery to remove the tumor in August.[51] In the summer of 2025, they resurrected the Summer Slaughter tour, headlining alongsideBleeding Through andMalevolence.[52] In October of 2025, they supported Killswitch Engage on their UK/Ireland tour, this also seen the return of Lozinak post surgery.[53]
Hatebreed's musical style has been described asmetalcore[54][55][56] andhardcore punk,[57] They have blended influences from hardcore andpunk rock, as well asheavy metal subgenres such asthrash metal[55] andgroove metal,[58] alongside other bands in the 1990s metalcore scene (such asEarth Crisis,All Out War,Integrity andConverge).[59] Jasta has also called Hatebreed 'Celtic Frost hardcore'.[60]
Jasta’s lyrics focus on more positive and uplifting messages in a 2016 interview he stated “I write a lot of positive lyrics because there’s always hope, no matter what you’re going through. Adding “ I want to be able to sing songs for the next 10 years that will always remind me that life’s worth living.”[61]
Hatebreed's influences include metal and hardcore bands such asAgnostic Front,Carcass,Celtic Frost,Earth Crisis,Entombed,Integrity,Killing Time,Metallica,Obituary,Pantera,Sepultura,Sheer Terror,Suicidal Tendencies,Cro-Mags,Sick of It All andSlayer.[60][62]
In the mid-1990s, vocalist ofemoviolence band In/Humanity, Chris Bickel produced azine calling outVictory Records for their business practices. Bickel attended a Hatebreed show and was quickly surrounded by the band, which threatened him with violence and called him homophobic slurs. After the show, frontman and vocalistJamey Jasta declared himself a homophobe and again threatened Bickel with violence in a voicemail.[63] In/Humanity played this voicemail to open their shows, and when Hatebreed played In/Humanity's hometown ofColumbia, South Carolina, between-song banter included their hatred of Bickel and his band.[64]
Hatebreed is a longtime sponsor ofUFC fighterChris Camozzi. AtUFC 158 inMontreal on March 16, 2013, Camozzi claimed he was required by the UFC "for some reason" to cover Hatebreed's logos, on his T-shirt and ring introduction banner, with black tape.[65]
In 2016, former drummer Nick "Nickel P" Papantoniou (a member of the band from 1996 to 1997) was sentenced to 45 years in prison after being convicted offelony murder.[66] That conviction was overturned in January 2023 when it was discovered by AttorneyJames Ruane and proven at trial that Papantoniou's trial attorney had brokered a deal with the prosecution on behalf of another client to testify against Papantoniou and that deal was never disclosed to the court or Papantoniou. The court found Papantoniou's original attorney provided ineffective assistance of counsel and reversed the finding and ordered a new trial to occur.[67]
Following his dismissal from the band in 2024 Chris Beattie sued Hatebreed in July of 2025, the lawsuit directly targeted lead singer Jamey Jasta. With Beattie accusing him of "increasingly erratic" behavior in the months leading up to his firing, ultimately making a "unilateral decision to cut Beattie off from his career, fans, touring, and substantial expected revenue."[68] However, the lawsuit directly points to a 2015 agreement between himself, Jasta, and drummer Matthew Byrne that says they were each “entitled to 25% of the sales and revenue from merchandise while the other two members of the band received 12.5%, accounting for the remaining 25% of sales.” On September 25, Hatebreed and Jasta filed their motion to have parts of Beattie’s complaints stricken from the lawsuit. According to a report fromBillboard, “the legal effort sought to paint the ex-bassist as a “disgruntled former band member” who managed to “erroneously assert[s] a right to remain a permanent member. That, however, flies in the face of what Hatebreed said was a relationship that was “terminable at-will.”[69] Hatebreed’s filing also stated that Beattie had signed a merchandise contract in 2015 together with Jasta and drummer Matthew Byrne. That deal outlined that each of the three would receive 25% of the merch income, while the remaining two members would each receive 12.5%. The group also emphasized that the agreement did not give Beattie any rights to the Hatebreed name.[69]
Hatebreed have sold over 1.5 million records in North America,[70] and have become a notable act within thehardcore scene and a stable in their home state of Connecticut. They have also been considered one of the pioneers and leading forces of themetalcore genre, alongside other bands such asConverge,Killswitch Engage, andIntegrity. They are considered foundational to the development of metalcore due to their blending influences from hardcore andpunk rock, as well asheavy metal subgenres such asthrash metal[55] andgroove metal.[59][58] their albumSatisfaction Is the Death of Desire is often cited as a landmark album in both hardcore and metalcore. Critics and fans regard it as a “hardcore classic.”[4][5] They have also been credited for bridging the gap between metal and hardcore,AllMusic credited them as one of the first acts to effectively meld hardcore and metal.[71][72]
Bands such asKnocked Loose,[73]All That Remains,[74]Whitechapel,[75]Terror,[76]Ingested,[77]Rise of the Northstar,[78]All Shall Perish[79] andParkway Drive[80] have all cited Hatebreed as a influence.Alternative Press named Hatebreed one of the most influential hardcore bands of all time stating that “seemingly every modern hardcore act have taken influence from Hatebreed in some way.”[71]
Current
Touring
| Former
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Timeline
Grammy Award
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | “Live for This” | Best Metal Performance | Nominated |
Revolver
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011[82] | Jamey Jasta | Revolver's 100 Greatest Living Rock Stars | Won |
Loudwire Music Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012[83] | “Put It to the Torch” | Death Match Hall of Fame | Won |
Revolver Golden Gods Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Hatebreed | Best Live Act | Nominated |
Libera Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Hatebreed | Best Live Act | Nominated |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
