One of the first acts to effectively meld hardcore and metal, Hatebreed's fiery guitar assault gave birth to a bleak, brutal sonic world. Fronted by the abrasive, defiant vocals of Jamey Jasta, the band's immense live reputation earned them a spot on Chicago's Victory Records. Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire, released in 1997, pulled off no mean feat in meeting its epic hype with both critics and fans. A slew of successful albums followed, including multiple Top 40 entries and a number one spot on the Hard Rock charts for 2013's The Divinity of Purpose. Jasta also found a second career as the host of MTV's metal juggernaut Headbangers Ball for several years in the 2000s.

Formed in New Haven, Connecticut, Hatebreed got together in 1994 for the purpose of creating a "back to basics" hardcore band with heavy metal guitars, screaming vocals, and 30-second songs. Consisting of Jamey Jasta (vocals), Lou Boulder Richards (guitar), Chris Beattie (bass), Sean Martin (guitar), and Rigg Ross (drums), Hatebreed played up and down the East Coast while sharing the stage with the likes of Entombed, the Deftones, Slayer, and Napalm Death. By 1997, Victory Records released the quintet's debut full-length, Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire.

The group signed with Stillborn/Republic/Universal for 2002's Perseverance and 2003's Rise of Brutality. Supremacy arrived on Roadrunner Records in 2006, featuring new guitarist Frank Novinec (who'd previously spent time playing with Ringworm, Terror, and Integrity). Guitarist Wayne Lozinak joined the band in 2008 and they released For the Lions, a covers album, in May 2009, followed by a self-titled studio effort in September. The group's sixth studio outing, The Divinity of Purpose, arrived in 2013 and peaked at the number 20 slot on Billboard's Top 200 albums of the year and at number one on the Hard Rock albums chart.

Hatebreed spent the next few years on the road before heading back into the studio for album number seven. The resulting Concrete Confessional came out on Nuclear Blast in May 2016, followed by an ambitious world tour. In 2019 they mounted a massive tour alongside contemporaries Obituary, Cro-Mags, Terror, and Fit for an Autopsy, and in 2020 they released their next studio LP, the punishing and cathartic Weight of the False Self. ~ Mike DaRonco, Rovi