Reviews

Hopesfall has built their reputation on making constant, drastic changes to their sound, while still maintaining a sense of continuity. Their first record, “The Frailty of Words,” was an epic slice of christian metalcore; tons of double bass and heavy on the screaming about god interspersed with intricate instrumentals. Then there was the transitory EP, “No Wings To Speak Of.” This was the favorite of many, as it seamlessly blended the metallic hardcore of the first full length with the space themes and imagery of their subsequent LP, “The Satellite Years.” “The Satellite Years,” blasted off full force into the space pioneered by Cave-In’s “Jupiter” era, while almost completely abandoning the outright preaching of their first record. This LP retained some of the previous releases’ dissonance, but delved more deeply into melody with a more relaxed feel and less screaming, showing .hopesfall. could even be soothing at times. Now comes “A Types,” the third full length (although their website claims it’s the sophomore album).
 
The title A Types refers to a the psychological category whose members have a “temperament marked by excessive competitiveness and ambition, an obsession with accomplishing tasks quickly, little time for self-reflection, and a strong need to control situations.” The aspect of control evident on this record is extremely strong, as each second of the forty-two minute disc seems precisely crafted, a far cry from the willful and chaotic destructiveness of “The Frailty of Words.” The space themes from “NWTSO” on continue on “A Types,” as does the recent emphasis on melody and the constantly amazing guitar work of Dustin and Josh. Their soaring complimentary riffs are the defining sounds of the new record, along with singer Jay Forrest sometimes aching, sometimes (rarely) screaming. The best song, “Icarus,” seems to be the point of convergence for all the album’s energy and artwork. Motifs of wings evoking the famed pair the mythical Icarus wore dominate the booklet, and many of the lyrics deal with escaping from fucked situations. Breathe From Coma, the other standout track, has such a heart rendingly delivered chorus that space and the universe are all distilled for one moment into the description: “Tear away the sheets/ Breathe from coma/ open to the curse/ We live to sever.”
 
“A Types” is polished post-hardcore, but it has been scrubbed down so much that there’s almost nothing of substance left. .hopesfall. make some great sounds and employ some amazing visuals, but there’s no grit left to grip. It’s so smooth it slides away leaving nothing behind, and so shiny it’s blinding. .hopesfall. has made a name for themselves while moving away from the edge that defined them. What is left is good music, but less distinguishable from the masses that they were once set in direct opposition to. “A Types” flies towards great heights, but it seems as if .hopesfall. is flying away from the past, rather than towards something new.