REVIEWS

NYのHOPE COLLAPSEの20年ぶりとなる復帰作。Black Army Jacket,Kill Your Idols等のNYHCの縁の下を支えたベテラン勢から成るバンドで、RORSCHACH,Acme周辺の90年代のハードコアの不協和音や変則性や不穏さに、EXTREME NOISE TERRORやNAPALM DEATHのオルタナティブなメタルサウンドを組み合わせたエクストリームな装い。前作でもこれらの要素は十分に感じることは出来たけど、帰還にあたり、Taylor Young（THE PIT) / Brad Boatright（AUDIOSIEGE)という鉄板鉄壁の布陣を敷くことにより、サウンド面を更に硬質かつ現代的に刷新し、社会制度の機能不全、権力の濫用、宗教的搾取、トラウマ、不安、自滅的な行動などが扱うメッセージにも深みを齎している。 何よりこれらの取り組みが、彼らが愛してやまないVoivodへの極上のラブレターになっていて、Voivodってメタルパンクだったんだなと再解釈の余地を与えてくれる極めて評論的な内容になっているのも興味深い。

New York’s HOPE COLLAPSE return with their first release in 20 years. Featuring seasoned veterans who helped hold up the foundations of NYHC through bands like Black Army Jacket and Kill Your Idols, HOPE COLLAPSE deliver an extreme sound that combines the dissonance, unconventional structures, and unsettling atmosphere of ’90s hardcore in the vein of RORSCHACH and Acme with the alternative approach to metal found in EXTREME NOISE TERROR and NAPALM DEATH. All these elements were already evident on their previous release, but for their return, they’ve enlisted the formidable production team of Taylor Young (THE PIT) and Brad Boatright (AUDIOSIEGE), giving their sound a harder, more modern edge. This sonic overhaul also brings greater depth to their lyrical exploration of dysfunctional social institutions, abuses of power, religious exploitation, trauma, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior. Above all, what makes this record so fascinating is how these elements come together as an extraordinary love letter to their beloved Voivod. It invites us to reconsider Voivod as a metal-punk band, offering a fresh perspective on their legacy. In that sense, this is an exceptionally thought-provoking record that functions as a piece of musical criticism in its own right.