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There have been a lot of reunions in 2023, many of which have happened unexpectedly with the sudden release of an album or EP. November was particularly active for bands returning in the hardcore/punk space, as not only did Coliseum reappear as C.L.S.M., but we also got a new EP from The Hope Conspiracy. This marks the first release from the Boston band since 2009’s True Nihilist EP, and it finds them even more pissed off than ever. Coming in at ten minutes in length, the four songs that make up Confusion/Chaos/Misery attack with an immense amount of force and may be some of the heaviest the band has recorded to date. It may fly by quickly, but fans of The Hope Conspiracy’s previous work as well as newcomers who like their hardcore as angry and hard hitting as possible will find plenty to like.
The Hope Conspiracy’s trajectory in the early-2000s was an interesting one, as their debut had traces of melodic hardcore and some other softer elements. By the time 2006’s Death Knows Your Name rolled around, the music had only gotten rawer and louder while vocalist Kevin Baker had dropped some of the emotional edges for straight rage. True Nihilist continued that darker slant, and now with Confusion/Chaos/Misery the group has weaponized that sound into its most aggressive form. The title track comes roaring in with pummeling drums and razor-sharp guitar leads that have quite a bit of weight behind them, balancing the rawness of Death Knows Your Name with an impact similar to something like Tragedy’s Vengeance. Each of these four tracks hits hard, and with each instrument doing its best to hit you in the chest it makes an immediate impression during its ten-minute run. “A Struggle for Power” goes all-in on the D-Beat, while “Nail in the Coffin” injects a hint of rock ‘n roll swagger and metalcore tonality with its squealing guitars. The Hope Conspiracy finishes the EP off with a cover of Anti-Cimex’s “Dogfight”, which fits well with the sound they’re going for here. Admittedly with how brief the individual tracks are, some of the more straightforward attack does blur together over repeat listens, but it’s easy to binge over and over again.
Kevin Baker’s screams have only seemed to get more aggressive over the past two decades, and in the time away he’s delivered some downright unhinged sounding vocals with All Pigs Must Die. This approach has been brought back to The Hope Conspiracy and it fits the louder, heavier approach of Confusion/Chaos/Misery perfectly. Baker towers over the instrumentals in a way that makes each song sound massive, and his intensity doesn’t let up for a single second of the EP. His pitch isn’t that far removed from Anti-Cimex’s Tomas "Freke" Jonsson, which makes the cover a natural fit for the band. If you’re familiar with The Hope Conspiracy’s 2006 or 2009 material, you likely know what you’re in for here but rest assured that the vocals pack just as much of a punch as they did back then.
It's interesting that both Coliseum and The Hope Conspiracy have returned in more primal forms, opting for straight-up hardcore/punk fury. The Hope Conspiracy has opted for a short, concentrated blast that showcases just how heavy and aggressive they can be, and while the first two songs do blur together a bit over repeat listens the precision of the attack and intensity have kept me coming back regularly. The press material that came with the EP suggests this is just the beginning of this reunion, so hopefully another full length isn’t too far off and we’ll get to hear what else these guys have in store fairly soon. Confusion/Chaos/Misery is available from Deathwish Inc.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg