Hatebreed began making Fatal Paradox without a record deal or a deadline. As Matt Byrne tells us, they wanted to write new music and could sort out the rest later.
Released on Friday, November 6th via BLKIIBLK, the album follows 2020’s Weight Of The False Self. Speaking with us ahead of its release, Byrne recalled starting work two years ago, with no label waiting for the finished record.
“There’s no timeline, there’s no deadlines, you’re doing it for you.”
The band worked on the album between tours, returning to finish recording this year. Byrne describes a change from the familiar cycle of signing a deal, making a record and heading back out on the road.
“It’s time to start working on new music. We’re doing it completely for us. We’ll figure everything else out later.”
Matt Byrne (Hatebreed) Interview
Behind the kit, Byrne had material that pushed beyond Hatebreed’s usual pace, and longtime collaborator Zeuss was there to tell him when a take needed another go.
“He knows how to push our buttons and get the best performance out of us. And that’s what you want in a producer.”
Hatebreed have also released a new video for ‘Decisions Become Destinies’, one of the album’s 11 tracks alongside ‘Kill Count Increase’ and ‘Sacrifice Season’, featuring John Tardy.
Hatebreed ‘Decisions Become Destinies’ video
Our conversation also takes in the Gathering Of The Juggalos, where Hatebreed received chants of “family” but lost one of their inflatable “balls of death” to somebody in the crowd. Asked whether he would return as a fan, Byrne had something else in mind.
“I’m gonna go and I’m gonna look for the ball of death and see if I can recover it.”
Elsewhere, Byrne gets into the funk influences behind his drumming and explains why he carries his late grandmother’s coin pouch on tour. His grandparents met as travelling vaudeville performers and always wanted to hear his stories from the road. He now keeps his earplugs in her old pouch.
“And yeah, so it’s a way that my grandmother travels around with me a bit.”
Fatal Paradox is out now via BLKIIBLK.
Fatal Paradox Track List
- Kill Count Increase
- The Carrion Choir
- Decisions Become Destinies
- Total Invincible
- Fatal Paradox
- Still A Threat
- Sacrifice Season (feat. John Tardy)
- Truth Is A Lion
- Make The Demons Obey
- None Left To Save
- Poison Planet
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