Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Hope for the Dying - Hope for the Dying (2008)

Hope for the Dying has already made history with their self-titled debut EP/album being the first release for Facedown Records' imprint label Strike First since its relaunch. I enjoy this thrash-ish metalcore similar to Shogun-era Trivium and Facedown labelmates War of Ages, though not as much as their more symphonic subsequent albums...

I can understand the confusion of whether this would be considered an EP or a studio album, since it's just a 7-track 36-minute release. While the rhythms and vocals aren't as dynamic or aggressive as their later albums, there are killer shredtastic leads that would carry on into those albums. The riffing from the guitar duo James Houseman and Jack Daniels is also not totally emphasized which explains the reduction of heaviness in this particular release.

It starts with a killer standout in the 7-minute "City of Corpses". Then "A Beautiful Day for Vengeance" begins with one of the heaviest riffs in the release before more of that tasty shredding. It seems like the more slightly forgettable parts of this offering are the clean-sung sections like that of "Into Darkness We Ride".

Some of the best moments of "Our Fallen Comrades" occur in the second quarter of the track. You gotta hear it to believe it! "Where We Are Going We Don't Need Roads" (clearly a reference to the final line of the first Back to the Future movie) has some melodic instrumentation to remind me of We Came as Romans at that time. "Would the Angels Say" fiddles a little too much with the shredding. Then both the riffs and leads really shine as "In Loving Memory" opens.

Hope for the Dying's first release was a promising start to their career. However, the killer shredding would impress me more if the quality wasn't so on and off, though it's mostly on. At least it would pave the way to something more epic....

Favorites: "City of Corpses", "A Beautiful Day for Vengeance", "Our Fallen Comrades", "In Loving Memory"