Make America Hate Again
| Make America Hate Again | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1, 2018 | |||
| Genre | Hardcore punk | |||
| Length | 23:20 | |||
| Label | Bridge 9 | |||
| Slapshot chronology | ||||
| ||||
Make America Hate Again is the eighth and final studio album by the American hardcore band Slapshot. It was released on June 1, 2018, via Bridge 9 Records.[1]
Background
[edit]The album was recorded at the Wild Arctic in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.[1] The instrumentals were originally recorded in 2016; however, lead singer Jack Kelly didn't record the vocals until 2017 due to him taking a while to write the lyrics for the album. So the band and the label decided to wait until 2018 to release the album.[2]
During an interview with Decibel lead singer Jack "Choke" Kelly described the album stating "More violence, more brutality. More hate, hate, hate. More cat memes. It's all you expect from Slapshot and more."[3]
Kelly also stated in an interview with Ox-Fanzine that the album's title was not in reference to U.S. President Donald Trump or anything political and that band stays far away from politics. "The song 'Make America Hate Again' is about finally stopping this eternal politeness in the States. Now is the time to clearly represent his point of view and to be angry about things. I think there should be more anger and hatred rather than less. After all, there are a lot of things you can't agree with."[2]
In that same interview he added "Does the album seem less aggressive Of course, I've gotten older in the meantime, so maybe I'm taking up topics that go a little deeper. I find it harder to write hardcore lyrics when you get older. What else should I be angry about? That my child doesn't go to bed on time? When you get old, you get comfortable. Sometimes you just pull things from the past out of your hat and write about what made you angry years ago. I'm obviously still a pretty angry person."[2]
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Ox-Fanzine |   [4] |
| Scene Point Blank | [5] |
| Radio Punk | [6] |
| Away From Life | [7] |
| Visions | [8] |
Overall Make America Hate Again received positive reviews, Robert F., reviewing for Scene Point Blank, credited the band stating "unlike most 'old-tyme' hardcore bands that end up sounding like tired and worn-out stereotypes of their former selves, Slapshot completely avoided that issue with their songs sounding fresher than ever."[5]
Ox-Fanzine praised the band for keeping faithful to their 1980's sound and compared it to Hatebreed. "Straightforward hardcore, completely without breakdowns. Slapshot has created a brilliant late album."[4]
Scott Hereth of Away From Life wrote “All in all, a rock-solid album that should really appeal to every Slapshot fan, as it delivers the band's signature sound. Direct, no-nonsense hardcore punk, which, quite unusually for 2018, is completely devoid of breakdowns.”[9]
Frederik Tebbe of Visons.de also gave the album credit stating “Same assholes and the same old shit." Jack Kelly is still in a bad mood, and Slapshot know how to channel it into timeless old-school hardcore. The Boston band has aged considerably better than some of their genre counterparts.”[10]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Jack Kelly, Ryan Packer and Craig Silverman.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Edge Break Your Face" | 1:16 |
| 2. | "Hypocrite" | 2:07 |
| 3. | "Remedy" | 1:18 |
| 4. | "Alone" | 2:42 |
| 5. | "Cry For Help" | 1:13 |
| 6. | "Trainwreck" | 2:29 |
| 7. | "I Got Your Number" | 1:58 |
| 8. | "It’s All About You" | 3:30 |
| 9. | "Make America Hate Again" | 2:08 |
| 10. | "White Flag" | 2:07 |
| 11. | "One Last Chance" | 2:43 |
| Total length: | 23:20 | |
Personnel
[edit]Slapshot
- Jack "Choke" Kelly – lead vocals
- Craig Silverman – guitar
- Ryan Packer – bass
- Corey Koniz – drums
Technical personnel
- Chris Wrenn – production, design
- Brad Boatright – engineering
- Mick Lambrou – artwork
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Make American Hate Again – SLAPSHOT announce new record!". IDIOTEQ.com. 2018-03-27. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
- ^ a b c "Interviews – Slapshot". Ox Fanzine (in German). Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ Macomber, Shawn (30 May 2018). "Full Album Stream: Slapshot — Make America Hate Again". Decibel Magazine. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Review". Ox Fanzine (in German). Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Album review: Slapshot – Make America Hate Again". Scene Point Blank. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
- ^ "Slapshot – Make America Hate Again – Review". radiopunk.it. June 6, 2018.
- ^ Hereth, Simon (4 May 2018). "Slapshot - Make America Hate Again ::: Review (2018)". Away from Life.
- ^ Tebbe, Frederik. "Slapshot: Make America Hate Again". visions.de.
- ^ Hereth, Simon (2018-05-04). "Slapshot - Make America Hate Again ::: Review (2018)". AWAY FROM LIFE (in German). Retrieved 2025-12-13.
- ^ Tebbe, Frederik. "Slapshot: Make America Hate Again". VISIONS.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-12-13.