Guitarist Kevin “Thrasher” Gruft and front man Craig Mabbitt captivate a Masquerade audience. Photo by Kevin Mayfield.

Hate Me is the latest release from metalcore mainstay Escape the Fate, and it’s first with guitarists Kevin “Thrasher” Gruft and TJ Bell. When the band’s Hate Me Tour stopped at The Masquerade on Nov. 3, I expected to mostly hear material from the album for which the tour was named. Though the set started with the furiosity of album opener “Just a Memory,” it was followed by a set featuring an assortment of songs from the band’s previous three albums. The performance was dominated by material from 2008’s This War is Ours (including an encore concluding with that album’s title track), but also included a couple of songs from the band’s self-titled 2010 album and 2013’s Ungrateful. In between were some of Hate Me‘s more melodic tracks “Alive” and “Remember Every Scar”. This latest incarnation of Escape the Fate put on a passionate performance and everyone in the band looked and performed the post-hardcore part, with front man Craig Mabbitt receiving adoration rather than hate from the enthusiastic audience. With the North American portion of the tour recently concluding, the band heads to Europe in January and February.