The Divinity of Purpose

The Divinity of Purpose, released in January 2013, is Hatebreed's sixth album — issued by Razor & Tie in the United States and by Nuclear Blast in Europe, a little over three years after the self-titled record. Official music videos were made for the opening "Put It To the Torch" and for "Honor Never Dies" that follows it. The first sets the record's speed within seconds; the second raises the banner its title states, and between them they show exactly where this band's lyrics stand. Through "Own Your World", "The Language", "Before the Fight Ends You" and "Indivisible", the riff construction is tidier than before and the outline of each song is clearer. The title track treats having a purpose as something sacred — the subject this band has sung for close to twenty years, promoted here as far as the album's name. Twelve songs stay fast through to "Bitter Truth", "Boundless (Time To Murder It)" and "Idolized and Vilified" at the close. Mid-career, it chooses to renew its density rather than change direction.