Artist: A Hope For Home
Album: In Abstraction
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Label: Facedown Records

Let me be completely honest, I didn’t have an easy time writing this. Probably the reason it’s coming so incredibly late. Also, when you personally know a few of the members, it makes it a bit difficult to not be bias. It’s especially hard when one of their mother’s was your 5th grade teacher, and was far too kind to you when you least deserved it. When a band releases an album that takes this long to review, you know it has something about it that makes it “special”. A Hope For Home has been a familiar name with me for many, many years. I remember seeing them back when they were just a local band, and had just started playing shows, and they did strange things with their guitars, like using a violin bow to make eerie sounds. But fast forward 5 years, and now you have one of Facedown Records most well known bands, and to be frank, one of the most mature sounding bands ever on the roster.

In Abstraction is art. It’s not just simply music, and I don’t think the boys in A Hope For Home would have it any other way. From the first listen you immediately hear a change in sound from their previous albums, but not at all a retreat from their aggressiveness. The music is very ambient, and gives of an Explosions In The Sky vibe, but then when the vocals cut in, and it evolves in to more of a Cult Of Luna sound. This sound continues for the entire album, it never really fluctuates, which is where I feel it loses a lot of listeners. This album can be described as a mood album, an album that you have to been in a certain type of mind set to fully grasp everything it has to offer.

Lyrically, I think this is the albums strongest factor. Nathan Winchell’s lyrics have always been a huge part of A Hope For Home, and nothing has changed with In Abstraction. If anything, they have gotten more deep, and visual. The lyrics really focus on a spiritual connection with nature, and how we as humans find God in his creations, whether it’s the roaring ocean, the rigid mountains, or the vastness of space, we can find Him just by observing these elements. For me personally, I love the visuals that they give through the lyrics, and how well they mix with the instrumentals.

Overall: In Abstraction is a concept album, so it’s hard to do a track by track review of it. I think A Hope For Home has found a sound that really defines who they are as a band. Some won’t find enjoyment of the “new” sound, but some need it. Though it is only 7 songs long, there isn’t a song that is under 5 minutes, and another factor that plays in to the listener’s longevity. I urge you to give this album a shot, or at least read the lyrics. You won’t regret either. Recommended for fans of: Hands, Russian Circles, Cult of Luna; post-rock bands.

Rating: 8/10

Reviewed by Tabor Brown

Tracklisting:

1. Calm
2. Out Of Ruin, Misery
3. Firewind
4. Tides
5. The House Where You Were Born
6. Weaved
7. Everything That Rises Must Converge

(Buy Here)

This just in from Facedown Records:

A Hope for Home pre-orders for the new album In Abstraction are now available. We're featuring a "build your own bundle" pre-order option for this album, so be sure to add a limited edition blue or grey vinyl version of In Abstraction to your order.

Artist: A Hope For Home
Album: Realis
Release Date: 3/30/10
Label: Facedown Records

Genre labels are an odd thing. They both succeed and fail at what they are set to accomplish. They succeed at giving you a general idea of the style of music being performed, but fail at giving you a definite answer to exactly what is taking place musically. As humans, we tend to want everything, including God, to fit into convenient, neat little boxes. Once the boxes are established we label them, thus creating a problem for anyone or anything that has a smidge of creativity.

A Hope For Home is one such band. Their brand of atmospheric, heavy music can be labeled with a number of genres, from post-hardcore to post metal and melodic metal, but these labels would only be scratching the surface. On Realis, A Hope For Home utilize the the screamed/clean chorus style vocals, but what set A Hope For Home apart from the myriad of bands that use this technique are the high quality of the clean vocals. They are always on key and never come out whiny.

Realis has quite a deep texture to it. The guitars are equally crunchy as they are melodic. On a number of songs, the guitar playing has an almost meandering experimentation comparable to Son I Loved You At Your Darkest-era As Cities Burn. Another effect A Hope For Home use on the album to add texture to the sound is the sudden change in tempo. All of these would be just nice, singular parts if they didn't flow cohesively into the next section. Thankfully, AHFH know how to write a song.

Contained on Realis are a good amount of songs that have a slow build up before exploding into action. The few that don't use the exact opposite effect, having an explosive beginning before calming down to experiment a bit with the dynamics. Some of my favorite tracks are "Nightfall," with it's steady, beautiful build up, "Withering Branches" and "The Machine Stops" with their wonderful guitar playing and "No Light," containing beautiful piano playing and an atmospheric build up.

Rating: 9/10 In Realis, A Hope For Home have created a sonic journey of experimentation, beautiful atmospherics and passionate vocals. This is so much more than any genre label could describe.

Reviewed by Matthew Alexander

Tracklisting:

1. Nightfall
2. The Overman
3. Withering Branches
4. The Machine Stops
5. No Light
6. Post Tenebras Lux
7. First Light Of Dawn
8. The Crippling Fear
9. The Warmth Of The Heavens
10. Seasons
11. Ascension
12. After

(Buy Here)