Labels: Belladonna
Review by: Joao
I had heard before that the Marburger brothers had brought Travis Fristoe in to join die
Hoffnung after their first LP on No Idea. After the sad news of Travis passing away, I assumed
that whatever they had been working on would never become available.
Now on this LP are the songs that were recorded during that period. This is the I Hate Myself
brothers together with the singer/guitar player for Moonraker/Reactionary 3 playing together
on a record out on Belladonna Records, and it all sounds exactly like what you can expect if
that combination of elements means anything to you in 2018.
I have to admit I was not the biggest fan of the die Hoffnung previous LP “Love Songs”. It
definitely had some good (even very good) songs, but it didn’t quite hit the right spot for me.
So when I first gave this one a go I wasn’t expecting it to blow me away. But frankly, this is
bloody brilliant!
To my ears this is an expansion of IHM’s “3 songs”’s more direct sound when compared with
the older IHM output, mixed in equal doses with Moonraker, and just played with what sounds
like unbridled and focused intensity. There is an even mix (I didn’t time it by the way) of
shorter more aggressive and more rhythmic songs, and more drawn out bangers that just
keeps things interesting throughout the whole thing. There are even bits that remind me of 12
Hour Turn’s Victory of Flight and Sinaloa, but that might just be me. The addition of Travis’s
guitar to the mix makes for some honestly incredible classic emo bits like the 2nd half of “The
Creation of Wealth” (or the whole goddamn thing if I’m perfectly honest).
I am reviewing this based on the bandcamp release while I am waiting on my copy to arrive,
but I believe it is all packed together with a CDr of acoustic songs inspired by the passing away
of Travis.
In short, this is a brilliant emo record and I definitely recommend it to whoever had even a
passing interesting in that Florida emo sound of old.