With their last effort, 1997's "Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire", Hatebreed became one of the most visible acts to bring the metalcore sound to the mainstream, but as a result of messy record label problems, it has taken 5 years for this, their follow-up effort to finally see a release. Arguably one of the first bands from their scene to land a major label record deal (Universal), the pressure is on for the group to stay true to their roots and also show that hardcore based music can be commercially viable enough to motivate other major labels to take interest in heavier acts. Listening to the album though, sales and mainstream success are probably the last thing on their mind as what is delivered here is a bullheaded charge of self empowering metalcore. There's no acoustic breakdowns or melodic crooning, rather just a straightforward ferocious assault that skillfully combines traces of tough guy hardcore with both traditional and modern metal, molding them into a devastating aural juggernaut.

Band frontman Jamey Jasta uses his gruff throaty delivery to bark out enough vicious self vindicating mantra's to earn himself the title of metal's Tony Robbins. Powerful and menacing, his constant bellows and chant like buildups effortlessly fit the bands sound like a custom made glove. Meanwhile, grinding distorted riffs follow his charge, sounding thicker and dirtier than ever before, suggesting a strong influence of perhaps Slayer or Slipknot's recent works. As such, the bands sonic approach now feels more current sounding than it did on their past offerings, though they thankfully choose not to cloud themselves in any new metal heroics and instead stick to relentlessly punishing onslaughts completed by an occasional solo. The bass playing however is a bit more restrained and sticks closely to the path cleaved by the guitars, laying down a satisfying downtuned rumble underneath the chunky riffs and thunderous drumming, which manages to pulverize the listener into submission through dense primal poundings and energetic double kick driven beatdowns.

Overall, the album is a fairly no frills affair, serving up modern metal with a hardcore based foundation in 2-3 minute regimented doses that go straight for the jugular nearly every time. Intense and cathartic, it manages to serve as a great outlet for aggression and while its lyrical content can tend to become a bit repetitive, with the bulk of tracks included all basically suggesting to, not surprisingly, persevere or stand up for yourself; Its still presented in a defiant enough fashion to keep it feeling authentic and gritty. Its no secret that Hatebreed's mixture of metal and hardcore is an acquired taste as repetition and pitbull like determination are some of the bands defining qualities. As such, this album may not entirely impress listeners who are inclined to more expansive or varied forms of music. But for those who appreciate the style or even for those just looking for a quick way to release some aggression, "Perseverance" is hard to beat. It may not be the most creative foray into today's scene, but it is easily one of the most brutal and resolved.