Source: Album Artwork
Hardcore is genre that is undoubtably popular and still on the rise. It’s all slapping on some new balance and a snap and claiming you’re a hardcore band, but if you’re music is as limp as a waterlogged sock then you’re clearly doing something wrong. Thankfully, Reading based melodic militia High Hopes have bypassed the monotonous void and brought forward an album bursting with potential and power. In short Sights and Sounds is well good!
Luckily for you though we don’t do things in short here at MOSH, we’re going to give this album a scalping and fiddle around with it don’t you worry. High Hopes have created a vibe similar to that made by acts like The Ghost Inside, August Burns Red and Stick To Your Guns all of which have busted their asses to gain their respected notoriety, and you get that sense of effort and passion with this release. Sights and Sounds oozes with pride and accomplishment, you don’t have to be half the way through the record to figure out that these lads have put their hearts into their best work yet.
High Hopes have made a real mature hardcore record, and no that isn’t a cheese metaphor. Sights and Sounds has such a heavy presence with it’s goliath guitars and bellowing vocals, and the varied arsenal of tracks which makes the whole experience diverse and enjoyable. Singer Nick Brooks constantly stuns us with one of the most brutal voices in UK hardcore to date. This dude’s demonic voice will scare small children, and yes that’s a good thing. Stand out tracks for us would have to be: ‘Manipulator’ which is just begging for it’s first circle pit. ‘Revelation’ due to it’s sheer amount of infectious energy and finally the power of the mid track breakdown in‘Vanguard‘ makes it a definite notable mention.
Now as we reluctantly slide on our nit picking cap, there are a couple of negatives we have to address. Firstly the album artwork is a little, misleading. Imagine approaching a beautiful woman from behind with lovely hair and an amazing dress only to be surprised when she turns round and looks like Vinnie Jones in drag, it’s a similar story here. The artwork although beautiful, is just too polished and if we were too see it on a store shelf we’d never guess the aggression fuelled hardcore beauty that lies within. Also, interlude tracks! Some love them, some not so much. We’re the latter. Next time cut down on the pace breakers and keep at it with the heavy. We did say reluctantly remember, despite those minor cons Sights and Sounds was a very enjoyable experience indeed, one that has definitely given us another UK name to add to our ‘Countdown Until They Get Fucking Massive’ list.
