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The Hope conspiracy isn't necessarily defining a new genre of music or reaching high levels of experimentation, but instead, they are providing the hardcore and metalcore music scenes with a much needed blast of urgency and attitude. Rather than taking a more accessible approach by combining the brutality of hardcore with melodic metal, The Hope Conspiracy go for a more straightforward, oldschool hardcore sound. We're lucky they do this, too, as the music is a sincere hardcore beating, chock full of intense lyricism, beefy guitars and easily distinguishable vocals.
"Endnote" starts off with one minute of attention-grabbing barks and thick guitar riffs, and although the duration is short, its difficult to stop the album after "Departed." In more typical Hope Conspiracy style, though, track two introduces the listener to a more hardcore approach, and after the short introduction, things break into an all-out assault of honest lyricisim and top-notch musicianship. After only a track or two have passed, vocalist Kevin Baker's vocals become the obvious focus of the music, as his style completely commands the music. Only during the short instrumentals, "Distant" and "Fading Signal," is the listener able to experience a break from the intensity, but other than that, The Hope Conspiracy never really lets up. "Fallen" is laden with gang vocals and sing-alongs, "Just A Lie" is packed with personal lyrics that the broken-hearted can relate to, and the closing track, "For Love" is simply mesmorizing.
The production is excellent, and slightly more gritty than that of "Cold Blue," which compliments the band's raw and brutal style. Even more, the artwork and packaging go above and beyond what most bands do, with a thick paper covering the jewel case, and vibrant, yet eerie art. The Hope Conspiracy aren't going to overbear their listener's minds with technical musicianship and excessive noise, but rather, they attack ears with a more straightforward and honest style. "Endnote" will surely turn heads and get its fair share of attention, but more importantly, it delivers a swift ass-kicking to fans of the music, and the commonly-lacking hardcore scene itself.
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