A lot has changed since Hope Con released their last album, Endnote, in 2002. Nu-metal is no longer a big thing, or even a thing at all. Pretty much everyone has realized the extreme suckery of Good Charlotte and Sum 41. The hyphy movement has eaten the crunk movement.
And the Massachusetts hardcore and metal scene has grown much stronger. In addition to long-time legends like Cave In, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, and Converge, the coast of Massachusetts has raised incredible acts like The Red Chord, Bury Your Dead, Unearth, and All That Remains in the past 4 years.
So the rebirth of Hope Con was another blessing bestowed upon us by New England.
Death Knows Your Name has a sound closely influenced by hardcore punk, like an even mixture of 80's bands like Bad Brains and Minor Threat, as well as the newer "tough guy hardcore" bands like Throwdown and First Blood.
This album is clearly a winner: while being consistently heavy, the songs have terrific energy and build-up. The album opener builds you up and the closer takes you down into a melodic reflection. The drumming is especially great, considering the limitations of fast, locomotive rhythms customary of hardcore.
The guitar and bass parts are very well produced, you can more or less hear every note they play and the spin they put on the chords and what not. All the songs are chord-heavy and pretty simple, though they pull if off very well. "Animal Farm," one of the album's catchiest tunes, is a prime example of the simple chord structures and their absolute power.
Of all the ways one could scream over the wall of instrumental sound, the vocalist of Hope Con does it in the most memorable way. While not always clear on the syllables, he chooses his words and rhythms wisely, adding to the grittiness and passion of the music.
Death Knows Your Name is a solid release. It continues the sound of hardcore punk with an added sense of modernity. It is consistently brutal and chest-pounding, without failing to be moody and musical. If you don't pick up this album, you're missing out on an experience.
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C.L. '07 |
