Quantcast
Connect with us

Music

Album Review: Stick To Your Guns ‘The Hope Division’

Published

16 years ago

on

So, I want to apologize to you readers as I wanted to have this review up last week. However, considering last Wednesday was my birthday AND there is a lot being arranged for this music section, I kinda let this one slide by a wee bit. However, here it is and expect to have another review later on today.

stygthdcover
‘The Hope Division’ is Stick To Your Guns’ third full-length release. This album also features completely new members, except for vocalist Jesse Barnett, from the last album, ‘Comes From The Heart’. Stick To Your Guns is a melodic hardcore band that has influences of punk and metalcore, all blended with positive lyrics and energy. But just because they are positive doesn’t mean they don’t know how to kick ass. ‘The Hope Division’ is a very good example of how music can be aggressive, in your face and heavy without the need to be evil or pissed off. Check after the jump for more details.

The album starts off with ‘Where The Sun Never Sleeps’, a track that sets the bar for what is to come. Incredibly tight production meets solid songwriting to produce a song that gets the blood boiling and heads nodding in rhythm. Jesse Barnett’s vocal styles shine forth, ranging from thick growls to clean, soaring singing. The influences of metalcore and punk can be heard in a lot of little subtleties of the music: The way the drums are played in the beginning, the call and response vocal style, the guitars harmonizing and more. Listening to this track, you know what you’re in store for.
The production of this album is stellar. The drums are not only mixed fantastically, they are panned to create a sense of space that is rarely felt. The cymbals have a pleasant sizzle in the top end while the toms not only have a solid thump, they have a resonance that rings forth in tune with the song. The bass is more often felt than heard but when it is soloed, each note is articulate while sounding thick and meaty. The guitars are panned and different enough in tone and EQ to create a ‘wall of sound’. The vocals are also mixed in just right with clever use of panning during many of the call and response sections.
Some faults I had with this album was that the transitions between songs relied to heavily on samples from inspirational speeches. I understand that the band wishes to be seen as positive, but I don’t necessarily need it rubbed in my face. Also, while structurally solid, the songs are not exactly the most original. However, a cool little way for the band to show that it wants to connect with it’s fans is a hidden track at the end of the album. The band recruited Hannah, who did a cover of an earlier Stick To Your Guns track, ‘This Is More’, on ukulele, to come into the studio to rerecord her version. 
One track that really stood out to me just because it was something that I was completely not expecting was ‘Erida’, a gorgeous acoustic piece that is heavily influenced by classical and European folk. While many bands that try to record an acoustic track overplay and over produce, this track was kept wonderfully minimal with simple, yet beautiful melodies. 
Overall, ‘The Hope Division’ is an album that I do recommend highly. With the longest song (apart from the last track) clocking in just around 4:15, each song doesn’t waste time getting to the point and, as a result, the album flows neatly and is very fun to listen to in it’s entirety. 
4 out of 5 skulls
Related Topics:

Managing editor/music guy/social media fella of Bloody-Disgusting

Click to comment

Music

‘The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only Live’ Concert Event to Make Streaming Debut Next Month

Published

2 weeks ago

on

July 14, 2026

By

The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only Live

AMC has announced that The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE, the standing-room-only performance celebrating AMC’s premiere of its newly-released The Vampire Lestat at New York City’s iconic Beacon Theatre last month, will debut on streaming.

The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE begins streaming on AMC+ on August 23.

Ahead of its streaming premiere, fans can preview the concert event, featuring original songs from series composer Daniel Hart and performed by Sam Reid, in Hall H at Comic Con International on July 24. 

Our own Daniel Kurland attended the special event, highlighting how electric the Immortal Vampire is on stage: “It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.”

Based on Anne Rice‘s The Vampire Chronicles book series, The Vampire Lestat is the rock and roll-centric third season of AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire” created by showrunner Rolin Jones.

The Vampire Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rises, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population.

Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles and Jennifer Ehle star with Reid. Executive producers include Jones, Mark Johnson, Hannah Moscovitch, the late Anne Rice, and her son Christopher Rice.

The series finale airs this Sunday, July 19, on AMC and AMC+.

Continue Reading