“2026 is the year of Hatebreed,” declared the band’s drummer Matt Byrne. “This juggernaut as we know it is picking up the pace rapidly and is taking no prisoners. As if 2025 wasn’t enough of a truly busy and successful year, this summer sees multiple European festivals/headline tours for the band, two separate U.S. legs of the Summer Slaughter tour, and a powerhouse of a new record dropping this fall on an awesome new label BLKIIBLK! We can’t wait to see everyone on the road!”
As noted in those comments, the Grammy-nominated, Connecticut-based hardcore band have joined forces with BLKIIBLK Records. The label will release the band’s forthcoming album, produced by long-time collaborator Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Accept, Shadows Fall), with this follow-up to 2020’s Weight Of The False Self expected soon.
Singer Jamey Jasta explained more: “BLKIIBLK put together a dream team to get behind the new Hatebreed record and we couldn’t be happier: new label, new horizons, crushing new songs. We are beyond grateful and can’t wait to unleash these tracks on the world!”
Byrne added: “One of my favorite things about making this record was working with our brother-in-arms, Zeuss, once again. His connection with Matt, Wayne, Frank, Carl, and me goes far beyond the producer’s chair. I’ve known him since the Pushbutton Warfare and Jasta 14 days, he’s been like a sixth member of this band for years. When you’re chasing something timeless, memorable, and meaningful, having that level of trust and understanding makes all the difference. We would high five, scream, pace, and celebrate every time we elevated the song or hit on something killer. From ‘I Will Be Heard’ to ‘Destroy Everything’, ‘Looking Down The Barrel Of Today’ to now, ‘Decisions Become Destinies’! We got another one Zeussky!”
Frontiers Records Global Head of A&R/BLKIIBLK Label Head Mike Gitter reiterated these sentiments from the label’s side: “BLKIIBLK Records is proud to announce the signing of Hatebreed. Not only are they a name carved into the heavy music landscape, but they are as vital and relevant a force as ever. Perhaps even more so. We are excited to work with Jamey (Jasta), who continues to bring new energy to everything he touches. Jasta and Hatebreed aren’t merely about perseverance, they’re about bringing the sound of the extreme to a new level. We’re honored to be working together.”
Described by Forbes as “more relevant than ever in the metal and hardcore community,” the quintet’s ‘Looking Down The Barrel Of Today’ track is nearing 130 million global streams, making it their single biggest career streaming track of the modern era. To date, Hatebreed have sold over 1.5 million albums in North America alone and gone from playing basements and backyards to being a featured, must-see attraction on countless festivals like Graspop, Ozzfest, Warped, and Download, alongside massive high-profile tours.
