Love, Hope and Fear are not what they used to be. And I mean that literally as well as musically. Their latest release, the four-song Fate's Frowned on Us, is the band's third official release in the band's five year (give or take) career. However, it is their second release since the revival of the lineup. Love, Hope And Fear used to be a trio back in the day, but after a short hiatus they came back as a five-piece with only the lead singer remaining from the original lineup. Ergo, this band's sound has jumped around a bit. But the past isn't the important part here, the record is.
The record starts with the fast "Over the Edge." The first thing I noticed was how well executed the instruments sounded. Not something you usually notice, but the recording is solid and everyone is spot-on. This song is faster than I can remember the band ever being before, with the vocals being pushed out quickly but accurately. The guitars are deep but slightly melodic, reminiscent of Shai Hulud riffs, if you will (see "Art and Arson"). There is a good amount of chugga-chugga breakdowns as well; contrasting the consistent punk beats that drench the record. You can also hear a hint of homage to the rough melodies of American Nightmare, and even a bit of the Nerve Agents. And just when you think the songs are going to slow down, it speeds right back up again.
The vocals are mostly screaming; and I say mostly because Alex experiments with some melodic singing-slash-screaming that compliments the guitar tones. It works pretty well, really throws you for a loop when you're expecting one-pitch screams. The lyrics are some dark, A.F.I. type imagery combined with dismal personal and hate-filled images. When the songs actually do slow down a bit, you get the chants and gang vocals that you know from most other hardcore bands. I've never found that these parts get old from band to band, and the Love Hope makes it work pretty well.
Overall, this is a solid effort. It's got a few different sounds mixed together that could really make something good. Although a little confused sounding at parts, this sound could potentially work very well for the band. With only four songs, I was left wanting some more songs to grow into the sound. For the average hardcore kid it might not be their cup of tea, but then again the average hardcore kid doesn't have a very broad range of musical interests.
