.Hopesfall . -The Frailty of Words (2000)
Uh oh, it's the dreaded "e-word". But wait a minute, don't quit reading yet because I'm gonna add "core" to the end of it to try and make everything a little easier to swallow. Yep, .hopesfall. have given us a disc full of what can best be labeled as emo-core. Okay, so it may sound like I'm in denial, but that's exactly what it is. These kids can rock like the hardcore bands one minute and then bring you to tears the next (well, that might be a stretch, but you get the idea). There is some really heavy stuff here that could get a pit going instantly, and some of the riffs are down right brutal. At the same time, however, there is plenty of melody amid the chaos, and the often complex songwriting hearkens back to the Strongarm era. As expected, the guitars frequently alternate between distorted and clean parts, with plenty of the mandatory feedback thrown in for the sake of noise, but the strong sense of melody throughout the entire album is what makes this disc so cohesive and flowing. There are a couple of instrumentals that round the album out, including the title track, but I tend to skip over them with repeated listens. Like the guitars, the vocals also vary quite a bit, with the typical "scream at the top of your lungs" hardcore voice, quiet singing, and even an occasional black metal shriek (!), but it's the hardcore screams that tend to dominate. The vocals aren't exactly my favorite thing about this band because the screaming is somewhat annoying and the singing sometimes sounds off key. The production is decent, and you can usually pick out each instrument at any point in the mix, which is definitely a good thing. Yet, one of the best things about this particular album is the absolutely great lyrics. They do an excellent job of remaining both unashamed and relevant in their faith without sounding too contrived or cheesy. In fact, songs like "Comfort" and "A New Day" create an atmosphere of worship, and the album as a whole tends to reflect human emotion in the light of faith not unlike the Psalms. Overall, the Strongarm, Bloodshed, and Eso-Charis kids ought to eat this one up, but the metal-heads among us may not be as quick to embrace the idea of emo-core. If you're looking for variety and can tolerate the whole emo thing, then .hopesfall. is definitely worth checking out. I've heard they put on one of the most Spirit-filled shows of any band out there, and my advice is to at least catch them live if you ever get the chance. -- Review by Jason