On their fifth album,
Hate Me (Eleven Seven Music),
Escape the Fate continue to push their sound with a combination of melodic hooks, '80s metal guitar flourishes, and, in a nod to their hardcore roots, blood-curdling screaming. With new guitarists Kevin "Thrasher" Gruft and
TJ Bell, the band has crafted one of the most concise and catchy albums of its young career. Highlights include first single "Just a Memory" and "Les Enfants Terribles," which cast brutal shadows over an album mostly concerned with soaring emo choruses, some electronic flourishes, and plenty of emotion; the driving singalong "Get Up, Get Out"; and "Breaking Me Down," co-written with
Jacoby Shaddix and
Tobin Esperance of
Papa Roach. The album ends on a surprisingly uplifting note with the arena-ready "Let Me Be," a mature taste of what
Escape the Fate are capable of when the screaming stops and their sincere pop sensibilities shine through. ~ Neil Z. Yeung