UK rock band Fort Hope are back with their first release since parting ways with guitarist Andé D’Mello. As a three piece they still have great talent to offer, led by the powerful vocal of Jon Gaskin.
The opening of the first track ‘Crosses (And So We Dig)’ really showcases the frontman’s voice as it is accompanied by nothing but a piano. The beautiful, calm beginning calls back to ‘We Are The Gods (Heritage)’ from their first full-length album, Courage. Just over a minute into the song the full band kicks in, giving us the first taste of the rock music the trio are capable of. The mood is set by a strong drumbeat, driven by equally powerful guitars. We also see a glimpse of Gaskin’s heavier vocal as he lets rip on a few screams.
‘Sick’, which fans may remember from the bands tour supporting Mallory Knox, follows in a similar vein. It is a mainly heavy track, but features lulls in the pre-chorus for some variety. ‘Tears’ then finds a mid point between the soft piano and hard-hitting rock in the last two tracks. We also see a bit more of the range the vocalist can hit, his voice starts deep, a nice contrast to the returning piano, and reaching some impressive high notes at the start of the chorus.
The closing track, and first single from the record, follows a very similar pattern to ‘Crosses…’ with a classical piano introduction, blending into a bass solo, this makes the contrast in this song even more obvious. As Fort Hope are now accomplished and know their sound, this song is far from two dimensional with plenty of rise and falls as the treble plays it part in the chorus where it lacks in the verse, one fall even sees whispered vocal over a lull in the instruments.
We are then treated to two bonus tracks in the form of an acoustic version of ‘Sick’, which despite not having the power behind it as the full band version still works brilliantly, and new track ‘Heart’ which is entirely just Gaskin and a piano. Both of these tracks are simple and far softer than the rest of the album, but the ability of the vocalist to use both clean and rough, partially screamed vocals still adds the changes in mood and tone, often aided by the layers of instruments.
The whole EP is full of ups and downs, easily keeping a listener interested. As individual tracks they sound good, and as a collection they work even better. It’s not hard to see how Fort Hope have already come so far since their beginning in 2013. Even without the small fanbase the guys brought over from their time in My Passion, their talent alone earned them their co-headline and notable support slot the played last year. We can only assume this year will be bigger and better off the back of their self-titled EP.
