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By JEFF MAKI
Though not entirely familiar with the band, Hopesfall, I remember them being heavily hyped at Hot Topic after the release of their last album, A-Types. I'm not quite sure why Hot Topic seems to be shit on as much as it is. They do have some cool shit in there, right? But admittedly, I did expect some sort of emo-style, wimpy album from Hopesfall's Magnetic North, which isn't entirely true.
To my surprise, at times Hopesfall adds enough metal crunch to their alternative rock sound to make for a not only a listenable, but sometimes strong effort. Lead vocalist Jay Forrest resembles Deftones' Chino Moreno with his soft montone and his scream is also comparable. With the Deftones straying off into more of an experimental sound, Hopesfall will gladly try to take the helm. During the slower material, which gradually takes over the disc, Forrest sings soulfully, almost like he was singing a lullaby. No, I'm not kidding. The music is similar to White Pony-era Deftones, but Hopesfall is not a clone.
What do they call this anyway? Post-punk maybe, whatever that means. Magnetic North starts off strong with “Rx Contender the Pretender” and even the slower “Cubic Zarconians Are Forever.” But starting with track eight, the title track, I started to lose interest. It's not that it's horrible or unoriginal, it just lacks enough punch for my liking.
All in all, I truly believe that Hopesfall has potential. But for now Magnetic North is far too normal of an album in today's music climate. They have been on the Warped Tour and also played shows with The Ataris (yuck), Eighteen Visions (getting better) and Underoath (who?), so maybe this will satisfy that fan base. The material is not radio-friendly and it's not truly underground either, so I'm not exactly sure where Hopesfall fits in. Hot Topic, I suppose?
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