Hatebreed is an interesting beast. The group has released some defining hardcore albums — most notably 1997’s “Satisfaction is the Death of Desire.”

But in the near-decade since that album, the members haven’t really done much to step up their game. Sure, they’ve signed to a bigger label and have a cleaner production job on “Supremacy,” and the lyrics, as always, are a disturbing peek at the soul of frontman Jamey Jasta, but there’s really nothing different here.

Hatebreed is often ridiculed for being one of the main figures in “tough-guy hardcore,” a movement based on overcoming life’s challenges through unbridled rage. Some may find Jasta’s messages inspiring, but detractors will definitely interpret them as boorish and vaguely pretentious.

While the disc explodes out of the box with songs like “Mind Over All” and “Horrors Of Self,” by the middle of the album it just kind of sags. “To The Threshold” is utterly unremarkable, “As Diehard As They Come” is plodding and predictable, and even short bursts of energy like “Divine Judgement” and “Immortal Enemies” don’t really pull listeners back in.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about this record is only seen in light of Jasta’s recent side project, The Icepick. That album, “Violent Epiphany,” is eons better than “Supremacy,” twiddling with dynamics, tempos and guitar melodies… in short, sounding the way Hatebreed should sound by now, having years to refine the craft.

The lyrics may be inspirational to those who need them to be, but the songs just aren’t all that good here, folks. Maybe Jasta’s bandmates will pick up the next Icepick album and get inspired to do something worthwhile.

In the meantime, it would probably be best to pass on this one.

Evan Thorne is a music critic for the Northern Star.