Ich war vor kurzem auf einem Paradise Lost Konzert. Und was musste ich da feststellen. Swallow the sun waren der Opener. Grossartig. Das hat diesen Abend irgendwie gerettet. Und was soll ich sagen, am nächsten Tag hab ich mir die noch fehlenden drei Alben von Swallow the sun bestellt. Dieses Teil ist von den drei ersten Alben definitiv das beste. Gut produziert, wuchtig und herrlich doomig. Der Gesang ist mal clean mal crowls. Das wird als Stilmittel eingesetzt und zwar sehr gut. Bisher war "Plague of Butterflies" mein Highlight dieser Band, aber "Hope" ist vielleicht noch etwas ausgereifter und stimmiger.
Anyone who's heard "Ghosts Of Loss" or the magnificent "The Morning Never Came" should be perfectly familiar with Swallow The Sun's sound by now: dark, depressive, doom metal with some melody. "Hope" sees the band expanding on their palette with faster songs (well, for a doom band) and a greater emphasis on clean vocals.
For the most part, "Hope" is excellent. From opening title track to the final wretched notes of "Doomed To Walk The Earth", "Hope" takes you to a place where you feel, well, hopeless. The songs are absolutely drenched in atmosphere with ominous yet beautiful guitar riffs (check out the opening riff on the title track), alternating brutal death growls and clean vocals, and subtle use of keyboards. "The Justice Of Suffering" even features a stunning chorus sung by Jonas Renske of Katatonia.
While I wouldn't say it's as good as "The Morning Never Came", "Hope" is still a phenomenal album. It's more accessible than their previous works, yet it doesn't sacrifice Swallow The Sun's core sound. If you're a fan of doom metal or just metal in general, you owe it to yourself to check this out.