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When the Hope Conspiracy announced they were going on hiatus in 2004, hardcore came dangerously close to losing one of its most dependable and important bands. While some of the group went on to take part in other musical endevours -- vocalist Kevin Baker sang for Bars and drummer Jarrod Shavelson handles the kit for None More Black -- there was a definite void in the wake of what was assumed by many to be an impending breakup.

Recently though, the Hope Conspiracy have decided to give it one more go. With a full-length record -- Death Knows Your Name -- due shortly, the band decided to treat fans to a sneak peak of sorts. Enter Hang Your Cross, a limited edition 7”/CD EP showcasing what the band might be offering come the September 19th release of Death Knows Your Name.

My only complaint with Hang Your Cross is that it isn’t Death Knows Your Name. If the three songs offered up on this EP are any indication, Death Knows Your Name will be the band’s best work -- for now, that title rests with Hang Your Cross. The title track alone, which kicks off the record, is a brutal tour de force. Baker’s vocals are as strong as they’ve ever been as he screams his way through the lyrics with blistering intensity. What’s more is that the guitars -- provided with a reappearance of Neeraj Kane on guitar along with a new face, Tim Cossar (American Nightmare, Bars) -- offer no remorse to the listener as they tear through at breakneck speed and force, stopping only for a brutal breakdown.

The other two songs on Hang Your Cross are "Dead Town Nothing" and "Eurohell," the latter of which speeds through in under a minute. While they hold their own and still showcase the development of the band (who hadn’t been playing together in years), they can’t match what the title track has to offer.

A review of Hang Your Cross can’t go by without mention of the album’s artwork. The 7” version was limited to a press of 2,000, of which there are four colour variations of 500 each where the screened covers match the multi-coloured vinyl. The art was put together by Burlesque Design and is probably going to be sold out by the time this sentence is complete. If you can, grab one.

Welcome back Hope Conspiracy.



People who liked this also liked:
The First Step - What We KnowConverge - No HeroesThe Hope Conspiracy - Death Knows Your NameIgnite - Our Darkest DaysThis Is Hell - SundowningDarkest Hour - ArchivesParasites - Retro-Pop RemastersFour Star Alarm - Four Star Alarm108 - OneoeightIsis - In the Absence of Truth



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    Posted by ocz on 2006-08-22 06:53:25

    well i live in finland, imagine how hard it's to find a "decent" record from here. damn it!

    Posted by tenwestchaser on 2006-08-21 18:47:48

    "I'm in Indiana and I found it without no problems at all! Asshat."

    Well good for you, maybe you are one of the douche bags that bought it immediatly from the record store I went to...and it was sold out. Hmm....I guess it makes me an idiot when stores sell out of a cd thus making it hard for me to find, huh? You're probably just a scene crew fuck anyway.

    Posted by WilliamMarinovic on 2006-08-21 16:22:01

    "hahaha hard time?
    Almost every one i know got all the colors and 2 t-shirts with the cover."

    Wow, your friends are pretty obsessed with mediocre music.

    Speaking of colored vinyl, I picked up the Black Lips album from 2004 on blue see-through vinyl today, it's actually pretty cool. Definitely garagey, perhaps proto-punk sounding.

    Posted by Kursk on 2006-08-21 12:42:42
    My Score:

    I absolutely love The Hope Conspiracy, but for some reason, Hang Your Cross (the song) doesn't live up to what I've been yearning for. waiting 4 years to put out another album then it better be mindblowing.. It's good, but I was expecting a lot more. Hopefully the full length will be a lot better.

    On another note Bars did fucking rock, one of my favorite bands that Equal Vision has EVER worked with. They need to go ahead an release the other stuff they had recorded.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 21, 2006 at 11:19 AM (EDT)

    I'm in Indiana and I found it without no problems at all! Asshat.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 21, 2006 at 11:19 AM (EDT)

    I'm in Indiana and I found it without no problems at all! Asshat.

    Posted by tenwestchaser on 2006-08-21 09:48:31

    hahahhahahaha......ya, a hard time ass hat. I'm in Indiana and it's not the easiest place to find things sometimes. Thus, me asking how the rest of the country was doing with finding it in stores. That's why I said I'll just order from Deathwish. Why does everyone on this site have to be a fucking prick, instead of just answering my fucking questions?

    Posted by givemeamuseumandillfillit on 2006-08-20 07:27:26

    hahaha hard time?
    Almost every one i know got all the colors and 2 t-shirts with the cover.

    Posted by tenwestchaser on 2006-08-19 21:27:14

    Is anyone else having a hard time finding a copy of this to buy? I'll just order it from Deathwish.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 1:09 PM (EDT)

    also kinda sucks because Bars were pushing that (as yet unreleased) EP for a long while before apparently throwing in the towel. wonder if we'll ever hear it.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 1:09 PM (EDT)

    this definitely has more of a rock-n-roll, Bars-ish vibe than their previous, more metallic work. no doubt thanks to neeraj (who was in Hope Con AND the Suicide File) and Matt Woods and Tim Cossar (who were in AN and Bars)

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 9:47 AM (EDT)

    I heard Bars were done for good - but it wasn't from a well-informed source.

    Does this really sound more like Bars than earlier HC stuff?

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 18, 2006 at 2:01 PM (EDT)

    goddamn motorhead. i love it.

    Posted by tenwestchaser on 2006-08-18 13:01:08
    My Score:

    "I am sick and tired of these mother fuckin' snakes, bein on this mother fuckin' plane."

    With that out of my system, the score is for the Hope Con. Love em.

    Posted by danperrone on 2006-08-18 11:16:23

    the artwork for death knows your name is the coolest thing i've ever seen in my whole life

    Posted by kirbypuckett on 2006-08-18 09:11:23

    The URL is wrong, it goes to one of those cyber-squatting spyware pages.

    You're missing the "h" in "death"

    - Kirby

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 18, 2006 at 8:18 AM (EDT)

    "sounds very Bars-ie
    i was hoping for something closer to the brutality to the 1st lp"

    BARS are great. are they ever putting anything out again?
    -JIVES

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 18, 2006 at 8:17 AM (EDT)

    you knew this was gonna get a high score! :)

    Posted by almostpunkenough on 2006-08-18 04:10:50

    haven't heard thsi but i really need to. can't fucking wait for the full album.

    Posted by LeightonESmith on 2006-08-18 04:09:14

    sounds very Bars-ie
    i was hoping for something closer to the brutality to the 1st lp

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 18, 2006 at 2:06 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Already have had Death Knows Your Name preordered since Deathwish has had it on the estore. Great EP, can;t wait for the fulllength.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 18, 2006 at 12:52 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    I really liked Bars. Score's for them.

    Posted by BrendanKelly on 2006-08-18 00:30:54
    My Score:

    decent. not great. but decent.

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