Review: Hopesfall - A Types

artist: .hopesfall. album: a types label: trustkill records released: 11/2/2004 by: eduardo moutinho It would be an understatement for me to say that I eagerly anticipated this release. In fact, it would be a gross understatement. I peronsally viewed A Types as a potential creative plateau for hopesfall, and I couldn't help but wonder what kind of revolutionary advancements they would incorporate into their already unique melodic hardcore sound. Unfortunately, A Types is a complete devolution. It is also a complete disappointment. Granted, the band showcased here really isn't the hopesfall we are familiar with. The drummer is new and one of the guitar players is new (the fourth guitarist to accompany Josh Brigham since the band's inception and first to work on a hopesfall release since the original guitarists, Brigham and Ryan Parrish). The only remaining member of the band that was present when the iconic songs of No Wings to Speak Of were created is Brigham. Yet, the band still calls itself hopesfall, and that name carries lofty expectations. The music showcased on A Types is good, yet it is fundamentally unoriginal. The wonderful organic song structures and masterful transitions of yesteryear are gone, replaced by traditional and often-times boring choruses, verses, etc. The music seems to have a sugary coating to it, giving it a tint of radio-rock blandness. The drumming is uninspired, which makes me miss the amazing skill of Adam Morgan. Also, unlike hopesfall's previous releases, the vocals comprise of 95% singing and 5% screaming. It's almost as if the screaming is there to make the music seem hard, yet it comes across as cheap and forced. But like I said, the music is good, and there are instances where some hopesfall staples shine through, such as the chorus-effect driven guitars. It's definitely on par with most of the decent emocore out there. Songs like "Icarus," "Champion Beyond Blessing," and "Owl" are solid pieces. However, hopesfall isn't a dime-a-dozen emocore band, and this is what truly makes this album an ultimate letdown. I was so upset to see hopesfall go in this direction; they went backwards to become more acceptable to mainstream audiences. So I'm left astonished, angered, and saddened. This band isn't hopesfall, plain and simple. The guys should have released this album under a new name. In fact, this album has made me appreciate the genius of No Wings to Speak Of and The Satellite Years even more, which is amazing. Part of me is in denial, almost as if A Types is a bad dream to be forgotten. It's tragic to wonder how the sound hopesfall pioneered has been abandoned. The guys dropped the torch, and bands like Jairus have picked it up and continued the journey. favorite song: "champion beyond blessing" rating: 75%/100% listen to .hopesfall.