Shai Hulud were one of the first in the metalcore genre. They helped make it what it is, and as one of the originators, they have spent the last 5 years on the sidelines watching the genre be raped by a parade of sub-par musicians and copycats. Well now they're back, guns blazing, ready to reclaim their title as the best of the best metalcore has to offer with their new album Misanthropy Pure.


The time since their 2003 album That Within Blood Ill Tempered hasn't been warm beaches and mojitos. The guys have been working hard on side projects like Zombie Apocalypse and initiating a new singer, Matt Mazzali. He is now the 3rd Matt in the band. While not negative people in their everyday lives, Shai Hulud are great at capturing the sounds and words that bring out the listener's darkest demons. Worried that their last album somehow came off as inspirational as opposed to the hate-filled tirades they we're shooting for, Misanthropy Pure is more reminiscent of their classic Profound, going for the jugular with all the intensity of hardcore and blend in the thrash and grooves that make Shai Hulud the masters of the genre.


A classic band adopting a new frontman is rarely an easy task. The most devoted fans are often most critical, but Mazzali definitely does his job. The band has always had a great ear for melody and Mazzali delivers it with conviction. While he may not have the same range as Van Der Velde, he meshes well with the band's style and shows a willingness to push the boundaries. I've always thought of this style of music as 'baby-eating music', and Mazzali certainly delivers. There is something freeing about pure hate. Not just hating one person, but hating EVERYONE. I know I can relate at times, and Misanthropy Pure is where I would turn for fist pumping, face melting music to soundtrack my destruction of everything in my wake.


While most of the bands in the metalcore genre are derivative and flat, Shai Hulud's new album Misanthropy Pure is a good reminder that metalcore, as a genre, actually has great depth and plenty of room for talent to be on full display. There is space to explore and invent, and in typical Shai Hulud style, they're leading the way.