HATEBREED Drummer: 'It's Time To Start Hashing Out Some New Ideas'

HATEBREED drummer Matt Byrne has confirmed to Heavy New York that the band's touring cycle in support of 2016's "The Concrete Confessional" album is "definitely winding down." He said: "'Cause it has been a couple of years [since we released our last record]. We've talked about fumbling around with some new stuff. What we talked about at the end of last year we're talking about doing at the end of this year. We'll see if it happens. When good tours pop up, or good offers, or just other things that happen to keep you busy, you go with it, if it's good enough. But, yeah, it's wrapping up, man. We've toured a lot on this record. We've been to different parts of the world a lot, so it's time to start hashing out some new ideas and start talking about a new product."

Asked if there is a specific formula or a template that HATEBREED has when it comes to songwriting, Matt said: "Oh, yeah, absolutely. I think record to record, the earlier you go, the more 'hardcore' you would find the material. But as we've progressed through the years, I think we've injected more and more 'metal' into it. We're fans of both genres. I think that's just what we listen to and what we like to play, so naturally, that's the type of stuff we're gonna write.

"On our self-titled [album], we experimented a little bit," he continued. "That's where we started really experimenting with — not so much singing, but maybe holding a note in the vocal lines and adding some more guitar solos, a little bit more shred work, instead of just — which is the typical HATEBREED formula — simple song structure, short structure, fast part, breakdown, mid-tempo; there's always those elements within the music. And that is the identity, I think that is the formula; that's what we naturally have always done. We've always been fans of music that comes right out of the box and just punches you in the face, and I think the longer the song — how people are nowadays anyway — the longer the song, people kind of get lost and the attention dwindles and stuff. So we're short and to the point, man — we get it done. We just punch you in the face and then we're gone. If there's a formula, that would be it — just short and concise, short and sweet."

HATEBREED will tour with DROPKICK MURPHYS and CLUTCH this fall.

"The Concrete Confessional" was produced and mastered by HATEBREED's longtime collaborator Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, SUICIDE SILENCE, WHITECHAPEL) and mixed by Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH). Artwork was created by Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER).