Hopesfall - Arbiter (2018)

Formed in March 1998, this Charlotte group began performing in garages and houses before making attempts at professional gigs. Originally begun as a more Christian-oriented outfit, Hopesfall slowly distanced themselves from the label as their career progressed. After initially playing small clubs, Hopesfall branched out to include out-of-town gigs. In November 1998, the band met Vic Cuccia at a show in South Carolina. Impressed by the guys, Cuccia agreed to help release the band's debut album. The Frailty of Words was the result of two months of weekend recording work. In July 1999, Hopesfall was invited to play the Cornerstone Festival. The band won the audience over with a lively performance, but broke all of the stage microphones, resulting in $150 in damages. After some personnel changes and various tribulations, Hopesfall released its second effort in 2001; No Wings to Speak Of was an EP released first on Takehold Records and later through Trustkill. The band also released a self-titled single that same year. Returning to the studio shortly thereafter, Hopesfall released The Satellite Years in October 2002, and they continued being compared to Nora and Glassjaw for mixing hardcore metal with melodic undertones. Two years of touring followed to support the record, including gigs with the Ataris, Killswitch Engage, Eighteen Visions, and Coheed & Cambria, before the band returned in the fall of 2004 with the more rock-inspired A Types. It was their first release without original drummer Adam Morgan, and actually, only two members from the prior album carried over into the release, vocalist Jay Forrest and founding member/guitarist Joshua Brigham; they were completed by guitarist Dustin Nadler, drummer Adam Baker, and bassist Mike Tyson. Baker then exited in the spring of 2006, replaced by Jason Trabue. Magnetic North surfaced a year later, recorded in a Long Island studio with producer Mike Watts (As Cities Burn, As Tall as Lions). ~ Jason MacNeil