If you’re looking for a ride full of energy, determination and heavy metal, lend your ears to Worcester’s tightest metal band, Hated. In the summer of 2003, guitarist Russ Wyman and drummer Jesse Sargent laid down the foundation for a group comprised of musicians with experience and the common goal to rock the city. After collaborating for 6 months, Russ and Jesse seriously sought after the perfect singer and bassist to compliment their solid metal riffs, raw emotion and ear bleeding style of drumming. One of the missing pieces finally came when Bill Shultz, longtime friend and singer, joined the band in January of 2004. Then called Trendkill, it wasn’t until early 2005 when a bassist, Chris Gill, joined and clicked with the rest of the band. With the new name Hated and Chris, a graduate of Northeastern University, they took Chris’s music industry degree and pure enthusiasm to round out the pack. With nothing standing in their way, Hated began playing shows all over the city from private parties, the annual Lucky Dog Music Hall Barbecue and Battle of the Bands at Jillians to showcase their talents and build their fan base. The past year and a half, the band has played a large number of shows throughout New England with some show openers for national acts such as, Shootyz Groove, Metal Church and Powerman 5000. The long awaited EP is set to be released in the winter of 2007. From there, Hated will continue doing what they do best, play music. With creative intro’s and an “anything can happen” attitude, Hated’s set is solid, dominating and entertaining with songs like “How Does”, a testament to hardcore and “H.A.F.” which brings blistering attacks and in your face vocals. An anthem to the metal scene makes “Own” a favorite. It is easy to feel the energy and passion of the group with their song “Find Yourself” and the mellower “Relapse”. The newest and most sought after to hear are the melodic sounds of “Noose” and the EP title, “Behind the Mask”. Rounding out their set you can often find the Metallica classic “Master of Puppets”, a tribute to their influences and youth. No matter how much Hated’s music may grow and evolve, Russ, Jesse, Bill and Chris continue to follow their musical goals to not only continue to gain fans, but always to play hard, heavy and with passion.