Hatebreed is making its voice heard.
In 2026, Jamey Jasta (vocals), Wayne Lozinak (guitar), Frank Novinec (guitar), Matt Byrne (drums), and Carl Schwartz (bass) formalized their partnership with their new label, BLKIIBLK, with the release of their ninth album, Fatal Paradox.
From the very first notes opening track Kill Count Increase, the band makes it clear that they’re not here to beat around the bush, delivering an aggressive sound that intensifies with the arrival of Jamey’s screams, returning to Hardcore and even Punk roots with simple yet extremely effective patterns. The track is short but very in-your-face, just like The Carrion Choir, which still takes the time for an intro before letting loose and hitting hard with choppy riffs, even incorporating some heavier influences with the repeated palm-mutes in the mosh parts. We keep the momentum going with Decisions Become Destinies and its catchy groove, which turns into a real beating thanks to a solid rhythm section and the vocalist’s screams, just like Total Invincible which follows suit and also delivers the hard hits where and when they’re needed. Title track Fatal Paradox starts by letting us warm up a bit before slamming us in the face with its fierce rhythm, alternating between energy and heaviness, before moving on to Still A Threat, which remains fairly slow but in turn proves its worth with energy and even a few gang vocals. The band welcomes John Tardy (Obituary) on next track Sacrifice Season, and we here witness one of the most natural duos as the riffs ignite; then we move on to Truth Is A Lion, which also proves to be very fierce and has us headbanging while pumping our fists. There’s no doubt this track will hold its own live, just like Make The Demons Obey, which follows and offers one of the album’s most furious tempos, as well as some of its most unsettling tones, before returning to a more straightforward sound on None Left To Save, the next track. There are few surprises on this track, with its simple yet natural effectiveness that builds for a long time before breaking apart, then picking up again with an unexpected solo, only to hit us hard once more before moving on to Poison Planet, which races along at full speed in a ballsy Punk style to wrap up the album in just over a minute.
As expected, Hatebreed does Hatebreed, and they do it well! Fatal Paradox is sure to win over fans of straightforward riffs and mosh-worthy sounds, as the album is packed with them, no matter the intended pace.
75/100
