Hope and Suicide

Despite having vocalist Scott Angelacos in their ranks (of the legendary Bloodlet) and slugging it out with tours and releases since the turn of this century, Hope and Suicide have unquestionably flown under the radar in the underground. However, with their self-titled release and first for Steve Austin’s (Today is the Day) Supernova imprint (which has switched to digital-only for its releases), Hope and Suicide have released a behemoth of a record that can’t be ignored. While the metallic onslaught Hope and Suicide delivered on past efforts seemed piecemeal at times — parts of a whole that sounded not fully integrated — Hope and Suicide here have not only smoothly incorporated all their influences (technical metal flourishes, post-hardcore distorted noise, catchy rock movements, Angelacos’ condemned bellowing mixed with scratchy singing) but finally defined a sound that is unquestionably Hope and Suicide’s. And it’s a monster. Tracks such as "Living the Dream” and the Quicksand nodding "Whiskey Tango” demonstrate a catchier, more hook-filled H&S without sacrificing heaviness, and opener "Switzerland,” complete with noodling tech jazz intro, sets a brutal pace from the onset. Does it outdo Angelacos’ previous work in Bloodlet? Does it matter? Perhaps this self-titled record’s greatest accomplishment is that it will have people stop referring to Bloodlet when talking about H&S and force them to acknowledge H&S as their own band building their own legacy.