Hate is Hawthorne Heights‘ first release on their own Cardboard Empire imprint since their departure from Wind-up Records. It is only the first installment of a trilogy of EP’s the band plans on releasing. Each will arrive every 4-5 months while they embark on a string of tours in between.

On first listen, I kept asking myself, Is this really Hawthorne Heights!? What’s surprising about Hate is how aggressive it is. According to frontman, JT Woodruff, this EP features more “aggressive songs” that are “a lot heavier than anything we’ve ever done.” If anything, it feels like a return to form from their earlier releases but with a much darker edge.

This is the release the fans have always wanted from this band. This is also probably one of the most honest album they have ever written. Hate is a record that comes from a place of isolation, desperation, and hatred. Woodruff holds nothing back lyrically, offering his most direct and vulnerable words yet. Five albums in and this is probably their best work to date. The best part is, they’ve only just begun.

-Henry Chung-

This post was written by:

Henry Chung – When Henry’s not busy updating this page and speaking in third person,he’s busy shooting and editing pictures from concerts and designing logos for bands.