I'll admit, I was apprehensive when I first saw this band. They were on a list with Modern Day Escape, Black Veil Brides, and Freshman 15, all bands I don't like. I almost skipped right over Hopes Die Last, thinking they wouldn't be any better than the other bands on that list. Can I please go back and smack myself silly for thinking that? I freaking love this band!!!
"Unleash Hell" was the first thing that popped up on YouTube when I typed in Hopes Die Last. Very strange but cool video, and even better song. It was just awesome. Straight forward, heavy metal-core, but they're not trying too hard like many other metal-core bands out there. The focus isn't on looks or certain band members, the focus is rightly on the music (even though their clean vocalist IS really cute = ] haha!).
As someone who's primarily an extreme metal listener, I consider myself a pretty good judge of scream vocals, and I say Hopes Die Last has a freaking brutal screamer on vocals. And on "Unleash Hell" he breaks down into death metal style growling, yay! Their clean vocalist has a beautiful voice; he has a fantastic range, mixing in with the brutality to positive results. And he's really good looking too. All right! All right! Back to the music! I can be professional, I promise!
Key tracks: "Unleash Hell," "This Song Plays Suicide," and "Life After Me Life After You." A lot of the songs don't have much of an intro, often diving straight into screams, and a little bit of an intro wouldn't hurt. But, it doesn't take away from the songs at all, instead shows how in-your-face awesome they are.
Um, they did a cover of Katy Perry's "Firework." Take a moment to let that sink in. You good? Prepare yourself, they did awesome. Though that's hardly surprising, they're phenomenal. I despise Katy Perry, but this was a damn good song. Yes, I'm now considering it Hope Dies Last's song. They play it much better than she does anyway.
Unfortunately, the metal-core scene is full of I'm-so-hardcore, look-how-much-gore-we-have-in-our-videos-not-at-our-mediocre-playing ignoramooses. Luckily, Hopes Die Last is much better than those idiots. Their album, "Trust No One" is flat out brilliant. Melding together heavy as hell guitars with pitch-perfect synths, and sprinkling in marvelous duel vocals, it's just a terrific album from a tremendously talented band. If you like Motionless In White, or are wishing that Modern Day Escape didn't suck, you'll like this band. =) Now go buy this album!!! You won't regret it!!
--Gorgeous Nightmare
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