The Concrete Confessional
| The Concrete Confessional | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 13, 2016 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 33:28 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer | Chris "Zeuss" Harris | |||
| Hatebreed chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Concrete Confessional | ||||
| ||||
The Concrete Confessional is the seventh studio album by American metalcore band Hatebreed. It was released on May 13, 2016,[1] via Nuclear Blast and was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris.[2]
Background
The album was included in Rolling Stone’s list of the "25 Most Anticipated Metal Albums for 2016".[3]
On March 23, 2016, a trailer was uploaded to the Nuclear Blast YouTube channel, detailing Hatebreed's upcoming album by revealing its cover art, track listing and release date. The trailer features several snippets of three songs from the album, these being "A.D.", "Looking Down the Barrel of Today" and "The Apex Within". The trailer also includes details of the band's upcoming tours across Europe and North America, in support of the album.[4] An official lyric video for the first single from the album, "A.D", was released on April 8, 2016.[5] The second single "Looking Down the Barrel" was released on April 25, and was accompanied with a music video directed by David Brodsky.[6] The third single "Seven Enemies" was released on May 9, alongside a lyric video and later had a music video made for it.[7] Following the album’s release a music video for "Something’s Off" was released on July 21, 2016.[8] In the U.S. the album sold 17,000 copies in its first week debuting at number 25 on the Billboard 200.[9]
The album was initially supported with a North American tour with Devildriver and Devil You Know,[10] the group then toured worldwide in support of the album all the way till 2017.[11]
Writing and recording
According to an article published by Loudwire, the album "deals heavily with topics such as social injustice, police brutality, drug abuse and self-positivity through positive mental attitude."
On the lyrical themes surrounding the opening track "A.D.", lead vocalist Jamey Jasta stated that the song "was a way that I could voice my frustration about the loss of opportunities available to the average guy. With the government and big business drowning in corruption and greed, the average person is being squeezed, so achieving the American dream is becoming less and less real. We all need to pay closer attention to what our elected leaders are doing. Start locally, in your own community, make your representatives accountable."[12]
Hatebreed began demoing the album in late October of 2015.[13] On December 2, it was announced Hatebreed had signed a brand new worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast to release the album.[14] The album was recorded with longtime producer Zeuss and was mixed by Josh Wilbur.[11]
Album cover
The artwork is a literal depiction of the album's title, decorated with the skull and crossed morningstar emblem which Hatebreed has used in the past.
When asked about the cover art lead singer Jamey Jasta stated:[15]
I think da Vinci said it best when he said painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen. Marcelo [Vasco, album artist] was able to capture a feeling that will accompany our musical and lyrical vision and he put together a striking piece that speaks volumes.
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 72/100[16] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [17] |
| Exclaim! | 5/10[18] |
| The Guardian | [19] |
| Loudwire | Positive[20] |
| Metal Injection | 8/10[21] |
| Metal Hammer | [22] |
The Concrete Confessional received mostly positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the album holds a score of 72/100 based on four reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]
Loudwire gave the album a positive review stating “The Concrete Confessional is music that inspires action.”[23] Metal Injection wrote “The Concrete Confessional is no reinvention by any means, there is enough variety of material and reinvigoration in the band's energy to establish it as one of the best Hatebreed albums of the past decade.”[24] Metal Hammer wrote “born leader Jamey Jasta is rallying from the frontlines, his gruff but precise shouts driving the lyrics home. Powerful, purposeful, and about as no-frills as it gets, his tone is authoritative and his frustration at corruption, evil, and the broken American dream is palpable.”[25] The Guardian added "as they have consistently proved over the past two decades, Jamey Jasta and crew are an irresistible, unifying force in heavy music, and they sound more vital and ferocious than ever here."[26]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Jamey Jasta; all music is composed by Hatebreed. Entire album mixed by Josh Wilbur.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A.D." | 2:50 |
| 2. | "Looking Down the Barrel of Today" | 2:41 |
| 3. | "Seven Enemies" | 2:05 |
| 4. | "In the Walls" | 2:10 |
| 5. | "From Grace We've Fallen" | 2:41 |
| 6. | "Us Against Us" | 2:04 |
| 7. | "Something's Off" | 3:49 |
| 8. | "Remember When" | 2:40 |
| 9. | "Slaughtered in Their Dreams" | 2:16 |
| 10. | "The Apex Within" | 2:29 |
| 11. | "Walking the Knife" | 2:36 |
| 12. | "Dissonance" | 2:12 |
| 13. | "Serve Your Masters" | 2:55 |
| Total length: | 33:28 | |
Credits
- Jamey Jasta – lead vocals
- Wayne Lozinak – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Frank Novinec – rhythm guitar
- Chris Beattie – bass
- Matt Byrne – drums
Additional musicians
- Charlie Bellmore – additional backing vocals
- Chris Taylor – additional backing vocals
- Nick Bellmore – additional backing vocals
Production
- Zeuss – producer, engineering, mastering
- Josh Wilbur – mixing
- Nick Bellmore – engineering
- Marcelo Vasco – artwork, layout, design
- Jeremy Saffer – photography
Charts
| Chart (2016) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[27] | 33 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[28] | 23 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] | 22 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[30] | 37 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[31] | 43 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[32] | 92 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[33] | 43 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[34] | 138 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[35] | 17 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[36] | 68 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] | 20 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[36] | 78 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[36] | 78 |
| UK Physical Albums (OCC)[36] | 51 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[36] | 3 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[36] | 6 |
| UK Independent Album Breakers (OCC)[36] | 1 |
| US Billboard 200 (Billboard)[38] | 25 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[39] | 3 |
| US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[39] | 2 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[39] | 3 |
References
- ^ joedivita (March 9, 2016). "Hatebreed Reveal 'The Concrete Confessional' Album Details". Loudwire. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ "Hatebreed: 'The Concrete Confessional' Artwork, Track Listing Unveiled". Blabbermouth.net. March 9, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ Wiederhorn, Richard Bienstock,Dan Epstein,Brandon Geist,Kory Grow,Christopher Krovatin,Jon (January 12, 2016). "25 Most Anticipated Metal Albums of 2016". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Joe DiVita (March 23, 2016). "Hatebreed Tease Three New Songs in Tour Trailer". Loudwire.
- ^ "Hatebreed's new song, "A.D", will give you whiplash from headbanging". Metalinjection.net. April 8, 2016.
- ^ "Hatebreed has premiered a new song and music video". lambgoat.com. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ^ "Hatebreed has debuted a new song titled "Seven Enemies."". lambgoat.com. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ^ "HATEBREED "Something's Off" Music Video". Metal Injection. July 21, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ^ Rutherford, Kevin (May 25, 2016). "Pierce the Veil Debuts at No. 1 on Top Rock, Alternative & Hard Rock Albums Charts". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ^ "The Concrete Confessional - Hatebreed | Releas..." AllMusic. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ^ a b "Hatebreed signs with Nuclear Blast, recording new album". lambgoat.com. December 2, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ^ Graham 'Gruhamed' Hartmann (April 8, 2016). "Hatebreed Unleash Lyric Video for New Track 'A.D.'". Loudwire.
- ^ "Hatebreed to release new album in 2016". lambgoat.com. October 27, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ^ Teitelman, Bram (December 2, 2015). "Hatebreed sign with Nuclear Blast, album being worked on | Metal Insider". metalinsider.net. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ^ "Hatebreed Reveal 'The Concrete Confessional' Album Details". Loudwire. March 9, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ^ a b "The Concrete Confessional by Hatebreed Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
- ^ Monger, James Christopher (May 12, 2016). "The Concrete Confessional - Hatebreed". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
- ^ Zorgdrager, Bradley (May 11, 2016). "Hatebreed The Concrete Confessional". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
- ^ Lawson, Dom (May 12, 2016). "Hatebreed: The Concrete Confessional review – vital, ferocious heavy music". The Guardian. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
- ^ https://loudwire.com/hatebreed-the-concrete-confessional-album-review/
- ^ https://metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-hatebreed-the-concrete-confessional
- ^ https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/hatebreed-the-concrete-confessional
- ^ "Hatebreed, 'The Concrete Confessional' - Album Review". Loudwire. May 13, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
- ^ "Album Review: HATEBREED The Concrete Confessional". Metal Injection. May 24, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
- ^ Youngpublished, Nik (April 26, 2016). "Hatebreed: The Concrete Confessional". Louder. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
- ^ Lawson, Dom (May 12, 2016). "Hatebreed: The Concrete Confessional review – vital, ferocious heavy music". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Hatebreed – The Concrete Confessional".
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Hatebreed – The Concrete Confessional".
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Hatebreed – The Concrete Confessional".
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Hatebreed – The Concrete Confessional".
- ^ "Hatebreed Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard".
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Hatebreed – The Concrete Confessional".
- ^ "Hatebreed: The Concrete Confessional" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland".
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Hatebreed – The Concrete Confessional".
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Hatebreed – The Concrete Confessional" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts".
- ^ a b c d e f g "Hatebreed Official Charts Company".
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Hatebreed – The Concrete Confessional". Hung Medien".
- ^ "Hatebreed Billboard 200 Chart History".
- ^ a b c User, Guest (May 23, 2016). "HATEBREED HITS A CAREER-HIGH ON BILLBOARD'S TOP CURRENT ALBUMS CHART WITH "THE CONCRETE CONFESSIONAL"". Hatebreed - Weight Of The False Self | The Official Hatebreed Website. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help)