Supremacy is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band Hatebreed. It is their first and only release with Roadrunner Records. The album was released on August 29, 2006. The track, "To the Threshold", earlier appeared on the album, MTV2 Headbangers Ball: The Revenge, released in April 2006.
Frontman Jamey Jasta contends that the main theme of Supremacy is overcoming "feelings of depression, guilt, sadness, anxiety, alienation. I wanted to show that there is hope, and you have to start with yourself. You can't help other people if you can't help yourself."
Overview The album was produced by Zeuss who had worked with the band on their previous album The Rise of Brutality. After releasing their two previous albums on the major label Universal, however the group decided to sign with Roadrunner for the release of Supremacy. Jamey Jasta stated this was due to the band wanting to sign with a label that was more involved with metal and hardcore bands.
The album’s lyrics focus on different adversities Jasta dealt with the previous two years. He claimed that with this record he opened himself up and wanted to be more personal.
In a press release Jasta commented on the album stating:
When asked about the albums title Jasta commented:
The album debuted at number 31 on the Billboard 200 selling 27,000 copies in its first week in the US. By August of 2007 the album had sold roughly 100,000 copies in the US.
Following the album’s release in September of 2006, Hatebreed headlined the US "Monsters of Mayhem" tour alongside Napalm Death and Exodus. The group then headlined a Canadian tour with Sworn Enemy and Scars Of Tomorrow in October and a European tour in November of that year alongside Unearth and Full Blown Chaos.
Critical reception Will Fry of IGN was critical of the band not evolving from previous efforts writing "Is this the only way that Hatebreed can "bare [their] soul?" Undoubtedly, fans will rejoice in the hell raised on Supremacy, but is Hatebreed immune to evolution? How can a band tour for ten years, and not move past their initial pedigree." Similarly a reviewer from Ultimate Guitar wrote "The music itself does not break any new ground as a whole, but many of the songs' breakdowns reveal some of the most inspired and well-written moments on the record. "Supremacy" will not likely go down in history as a monumental record, but in an industry that has become too much like an assembly line, Hatebreed offers a rare commodity: honesty." Blabbermouth.net added "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."
As for the lyrics PopMatters wrote "While Jasta does tend to overdo it on every Hatebreed record (Supremacy comes with an extensive navel-gazing essay and detailed explanations of each song), his earnestness is hard to dislike, and for all the straightforwardness of his lyrics, he’s eloquent, passionate, and delivers positive messages to the kids."
Track listing
Credits
Musicians Jamey Jasta – vocals Sean Martin – lead guitar Frank Novinec – rhythm guitar Chris Beattie – bass Matt Byrne – drums Brendan Feeney – backing vocals Josh Grden – backing vocals Patrick Sullivan – backing vocals
Production Zeuss – producer, engineer, mixing Mike Gitter – A&R Ted Jensen – mastering Heather Baker – violin Meran Karanitant – artwork, layout design Daragh McDonagh – photography Charts Chart (2006)Peak positionARIA Charts32Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)64Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)89French Albums (SNEP)112German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)52Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)95Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)56The Billboard 20031US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)10US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)10US Indie Store Sales (Billboard)12
References