Before the Unholy Alliance tour kicked off, we offered our street team, the chance to interview Hatebreed. The teamer who sent in the best questions, would be able to ask the band their questions, and have the answers posted here. The winner was chosen, and here is PART TWO of his interview with Sean Martin, Hatebreed’s guitarist. Teamer: With success over the recent years and a high-profile record deal, how do you respond to the older fans not willing to accommodate such change? Sean: It’s all good. We’re still here making heavy music. It’s not as if we’ve put out a rap record, not that I’ve got anything against hip-hop, but we’re not trying to change anything. Just because we’re on a bigger label and just because things are going well doesn’t mean we’re a lesser band, you know. We’re heavier now than we’ve ever been and we’re going to keep getting heavier. Teamer: Over the past few years, hardcore has risen greatly in popularity worldwide. Do you feel this has had a positive or negative effect on the state of the scene? Sean: I think it’s positive. I mean, how can it be negative? A lot of kids get bummed out when newer kids come into the scene or anything like that. God forbid a kid isn’t born with an Agnostic Front or Hatebreed shirt on. I know I wasn’t! I think it’s good because it opens up the minds of a lot of kids who may never have known the scene existed and it may give them a reason to do something positive like starting a band or a record label. Teamer: What bands would you say have been Hatebreed’s major influence? Sean: I’d have to say Hatebreed’s major influence musically would be Entombed, Sheer Terror, Carcass, Slayer, Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front. We love all music but those are the bands that make me want to write a riff and play the guitar. Teamer: It’s quite hard to compare you to those bands though. Yeah, well, we don’t try and be them but their aggression, their music and their lyrics give us the feeling to create – it’s inspiration! It doesn’t mean we’re going to take it note-for-note, which we may have here and there in the past (laughter). For the most part, those bands mashed together and squashed down to 2 minutes ends up as a Hatebreed song (more laughter). more to come…