Hatebreed

A complete covers album is usually geared for a band’s diehard fans who possess collector mentalities. In all fairness, a renditions collection is also a perfect opportunity to illustrate a band's overt and not-so-obvious influences. It’s a chance for a band to have some fun in the studio environment. Sometimes, these efforts can reek of “contractual obligation," or they act as a ploy to tide over fans while bands work on new material. In essence, a covers album is often a crap shoot for the band and fans.

For Connecticut hardcore superstars Hatebreed , For the Lions, their first all-covers album, serves the first two the aforementioned masters. Fans will relish the 'Breed's take on seminal metal and hardcore bands; the band did not make any surprising choices pertaining to which bands to re-imagine. It makes total sense that the band would offer their take on their influences, such as Suicidal Tendencies, Sick of it All, Slayer and Sepultura. There’s no shock there.

However, while Hatebreed selected bands that are easily detectable as inspiration, they do shake things up a bit, thanks to their uncommon song choices. Rather than re-doing the hits or “classics,” they went with deeper cuts. For the Lions is a sonic treat for crusty HxCx fans and older school metalheads who are somewhat interested in a newer school band providing their interpretation and putting their stamp on the tunes we all know and love.

This covers release also inspires because the band pushes itself to try new things, rather than just Hatebreedize songs they didn't write. It may very well be an effort to tide fans over while the band works on new material, but it doesn’t come across as something the band “needed” to in order to fulfill their end of a record label deal.

— Amy Sciarretto
05.17.09