REVIEW: Jasta – Jasta | Under the Gun Review

REVIEW: Jasta – Jasta

August 14th, 2011

Jordan Munson

Album: Jasta
Artist: Jasta
Genre: Metalcore
Label: Koch Records

Trying to figure out where Jamey Jasta stands in the ranks of metal history is a bit tough as everyone seems to have an opinion on his time with Hatebreed, not all of which are positive opinions. Undeniable, however, are his accolades over the years: a solid career with Hatebreed, host of MTV’s Headbangers Ball, owns Stillborn Records, and numerous other achievements. He’s certainly solidified his place in hardcore/metal lore already, and now he’s coming at us with a new record: Jasta.

I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered a more aptly titled album in my life than Jasta. If there was even an album that could sum up all the things that Jamey Jasta has done in his career, this would be it. He covers the hard-hitting and anthemic styles of Hatebreed and Icepick as well as the the melancholic roar of Kingdom of Sorrow–all of which captured very well. The problem, however, is that it leads to a very erratic album with little to no cohesiveness to be found.

In addition to being a whole lot of Jasta, this album features a multitude of extremely high-profile guests: Phil Labonte, Tim Lambesis, Mike Vallely, and more. Some of the guest features on the album are pretty fantastic (such as Zakk Wylde on “The Fearless Must Endure” and Tim Lambesis on “With A Resounding Voice”) while others were underwhelming at best–Phil Labonte’s spot on “Something You Should Know” being almost painfully bad. As one would hope, at least each feature spot brings a new flavor into the mix.

If you’re at all familiar with Jasta’s catalog, there’s almost nothing to say here. He tries almost nothing new. None of the songs really feel like they’re out of his comfort zone. One of the biggest complaints to be made about this album is that it’s bit too far into the safe side of things. This would be less of an issue if each of the songs were really fantastic, but more often not they’re just slightly above average. Thematically, it’s all the same stuff that we’ve been hearing from Jasta his entire career: be strong, don’t give up, etc. (at least it’s a good message).

After a litany of listens, Jasta just feels like a greatest hits compilation of Jamey Jasta’s career, but not as good. Not an unpleasant listen, but leans more to the routine side at this point, broken only by the unique guest spots that fill the latter part of the album. Jasta superfans, you’ll probably love this. Otherwise you’d probably be better off if you opt for Hatebreed or Kingdom of Sorrow album.

SCORE: 6/10
Review written by Jordan Munson

Check out one of the highpoints of the album below, “The Fearless Must Endure” featuring Zakk Wylde: