Goofy band names seem to go hand in hand with this style of metalcore, which blends the whole chaotic thing with the chugga breakdown thing with, of course, the melodic Swedish death metal thing. Don't let the derivative style and silly band name throw you off too much, as they're pretty good for this style, though it's not exactly anything worth writing home about. I think they could get there with some work, but right now a few of the usual problems hold them back. For one thing, the singing vocals aren't that hot, so when they try to contrast the gruff screaming with singing it falls a little flat. They do need that variation, but they really need to get the singing to a livelier and more effective realm before really delving into too much of that. The songs aren't too long or anything, but there's a bit of one-sidedness to the record as a whole, so cutting a track or two might help, though adding a dash more diversity would probably be ideal. Luckily the actual writing is decent, as they transition between different riffs and styles well, and they do come up with some great chord progressions on occasion. "Roses, Postcards & Machinegun Kisses" is definitely among the more memorable tracks because it somehow has more energy and jumps out at you at the start, as do "Are You Playing Dead" and "My Best Wishes" (probably the best song all around) - the record ends on a pretty strong note. The production is good, it just needs more oomph. The mix is clear and lets everything have its own space, but the drums need more punch and the guitars need a louder, more emphatic sort of dominance. The guitar tone is pretty damn good, and the vocals sound fine to me too, I just think a few areas need that extra kick. I actually really like the design on this one. The artwork is pretty unusual and has a painterly sort of collaged look, there are a few band photos arranged to match the aesthetic of the art, and the color scheme is consistent as well. The lyrics are all personal and deal with being betrayed, working through life's bullshit, and so on. It's all pretty standard and uses too many silly metaphors and whatnot for me to really get into, but what can you do? I guess that's all there is to say here. I'm not blown away but I can listen to it and there are some good songs. I definitely get tired of the slower power chord mosh stuff and typical Swedish runs, but that's the way it goes sometimes.
[Hand of Hope]
Running time - 42:20, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: Roses, Postcards & Machinegun Kisses, Are You Playing Dead, My Best Wishes]
Hand of Hope Records - http://www.handofhoperecords.com
