Artist: Hopesfall
Label: Trustkill Records
Release: 2001
Way back in 2001, after their 1999 debut The Frailty Of Words, Hopesfall served us up the EP No Wings To Speak Of. Just four tracks, with the last screams (and only a little singing) from Doug Venable, were the springboard that turned these guys into an established name. You can’t really say the rockers won over teenage girls’ hearts back then, but plenty of critics on internet sites welcomed them as a great band, and critics at well-read music magazines around the world were even more enthusiastic about their music. The EP was supposed to come out on Takehold Records, but at the last minute before release they signed with a new label – Trustkill Records, who they still work with today, though with a somewhat changed lineup. It’d be hard for me to compare it with the first record, since I don’t know it, but I can compare this EP with their newer albums. I can say without a doubt that it’s the hardest-hitting of all the ones I know. Singing, screaming and all-out rocking weave through every track, which I’d put right up there with bands like Underoath, Poison The Well or even the young Blessthefall. So my excitement was huge right from the start. Shredding in the emo core style, and the singing and screaming too. Seriously awesome!
The whole story of the album kicks off with OPEN HANDS TO THE WIND, which grabbed me right away. A kind of quiet intro, which you can’t even hear for the first few seconds, soon turns into relentless, noisy shredding, with screaming taking up most of it. About halfway through the song everything calms down and it feels like we’ve landed in a totally different track. The next song, APRIL LEFT WITH SILENCE, won me over completely again. A slowish start, then another shift that changes the track up a bit. There’s really no point wasting words, because it all comes out killer! THE END OF AN ERA is my favorite track on this release. Sure, it’s the longest, but those almost 7 minutes fly by way too fast! It’s got everything I think a good song needs, and I have to admit that with Hopesfall I was left speechless for the first time, because this track is truly phenomenal! Try it yourselves. The last, fourth song is THE FAR PAVILIONS, where speed and calm mix again, and, like on every track on this record, so do those riffs typical of emo core. One more time: GREAT!!!!
Hopesfall really won me over this time, and I have to admit I want them back in the form they played for us on this release. I definitely agree with all the positive opinions about the EP, because the guys put out a truly listen-worthy record and proved right at the start of their career that they’re a great band in every respect. As a fan, I’ll even dare say that this is their best album so far, and it’s a real shame there are only 4 tracks on it! Check for yourselves whether my words ring true!!!!!!!
Lineup
DOUG: vocals
RYAN: guitar, vocals
JOSH: guitar
PAT: bass
ADAM: drums
Production
Mark Miley
Tracklist
1. Open Hands To The Wind
2. April Left With Silence
3. The End Of An Era
4. The Far Pavilions
ALBUM LENGTH: 19:37
