Review Summary: Hopesfall's debut introduces audiences to an entirely different take on the once proud Metalcore genre.
Take a look at the contemporary Metalcore scene and you’ll notice two overtly abundant things; Breakdowns and Christianity. Now, neither of these things are inherently bad in relation to music, breakdowns have been used in music for decades and in regards to heavy music can often be used very well in the context of a song. Music made by those of faith has often been regarded as high quality, look no further than the lyrics on Thrice’s The Illusion Of Safety. But in today’s Metalcore scene, a scene dominated by the August Burns Red’s, Devil Wears Prada’s and Norma Jean’s, it’s become somewhat unbearable.
Much like Auto-tunes over-exposure in the Hip-hop world, making heavy music for Jesus is as cliché as wearing a beret on a slightly tilted angle whilst looking at artworks, for every Underoath there’s two hundred Oh, Sleeper’s. But long ago, in fact over a decade ago, a little band known as Hopesfall existed. It wasn’t until late 2001-2002 that the band began to pick up steam after the release of two highly acclaimed CD’s (No Wings To Speak Of and The Satellite Years). But even in the beginning Hopesfall were adamant about one thing, creating excellent songs.
On their first outing The Frailty Of Words, Hopesfall put forth a top notch performance rivalling that of their later works and introducing their audience to a never before seen (circa. 1999) take on Metalcore, including numerous ambient passages, layered clean and harsh vocals and a balanced instrumental performance. With this album Hopesfall set the ground work for their later endeavours. One word is almost always used to describe the band “spacey” and it’s easy to see why. Even here, in their earliest days, Hopesfall were incredibly capable at creating an atmospheric sound that not only entrances the listener but enhances their already solid take on Metalcore.
The guitar work is both heavy and soothing. When the band is angry you can hear the anger seeping through their distorted riffs, constantly bringing a weight that genuinely feels crushing, directly to your ears. At other times they’ll enter into ambient sections showing a level of placidity that even today is rarely seen or replicated as well as it’s shown here. The instrumental work is incredibly balanced with every member getting a chance to shine, whether it’s rolling bass lines in the softer sections or the well-timed and precise percussion featured throughout the album, everything about the band flows like a well-oiled machine.
Vocalist Doug Venable puts forth one of the most entertaining performances in the genre, making use primarily of his throaty shout/scream the level of emotion conveyed through his voice is incredibly. On top of that he shows a great restraint, allowing the instrumental work to drive large portions of the album without coming off as lacking in vocal skill. Included within his performance is a sparing use of clean vocals that not only fit with the band’s sound but offer enough differentiation vocally to maintain a sense of freshness throughout the album.
All in all, Hopesfall demonstrate here that any and all praise they receive is very much deserved. The Frailty Of Words is a perfect representation of Hopesfall’s early work and the sound found here is still traceable all the way to their final release (Magnetic North). Combining excellent musicianship and passionate vocals this album further cements Hopesfall’s place in the annals of Metalcore history.
