This album has style!
‘It Happens’, with it’s good axe base, takes you through a soaring background to vocals that may at first seem light but are a compliment to rest of the sound. Once you’ve heard it, it’s a number that just sits there in your head.
Heavier vocals characterise ‘Start & Pause’ once again against a backdrop of axe fire and ‘Icarus’ is a superb number with a great blend of music and vocals that come straight from the gut as well as the heart. Jay Forrest’s vocals here are given full reign and deservedly steal the show whilst not diminishing the rest of the sound.
‘Breathe From Coma’ is one of those numbers that you know is only held in check from exploding by disciplined musicians- this is a really gut tensing sound that will make you sweat. Whereas ‘Champion Beyond Blessing’ is a track that veers from quality to lighter sounds that don’t sit so well alongside each other.
‘The Ones’ has a dark sound and feel to it with a tight bass line keeping that feeling going where it might otherwise have faltered; once more the vocals are well packaged to sit along side the different music that is produced here. There is one huge deep musical breathe taken against a background of attack by sound towards the end that works excellently. ‘Manipulate The Eclipse’ brings back the superb quality of ‘Icarus’, as it is well structured and played with perception.
…And ‘Matchmakers Haven’ brings back the heavy sounds, firing off axes like machine guns and dropping drumbeats like bombs. ‘Owl’, although lighter in tone, works within the concepts of this album, although it does not show the quality that these guys are capable of.
The there’s ‘Per Sempre Marciamo’- this is a rarity with seductive, heavy music that has vocals that ooze sex appeal. This one is for those low light, laid back times.
Hopesfall have achieved a great sound of their own here and have proved that they are not afraid to do it.