Alive IV is a new live EP from New York heavy hardcore punks End of Hope, and it follows behind the March release of their second studio full-length, Pushback is Strong (review here), capturing a gig in Connecticut around the album release. And hey, I’ve been there. I was in one of those bands, which, like everybody who ever plays music at some point or another, does so in front of a largely vacant room. That kind of build up and disappointment is an essential human experience, and if you’re not already humble when you get there that night, you will be by the time you leave. Call it character building on a band level.

Thus seems to be the point of view for the first single from Alive IV, “Nobody Cares About Your Band,” which is streaming now. Band armed with a new record, headed north to celebrate, big open space in front of the stage. That’s life. The point is you fucking do the thing anyhow, because people not knowing you’re right doesn’t make you wrong, and external validation is a luxury in underground anything anyhow. Hell yeah you record that set and put it out.

Helps that the thing sounds good too, of course. You can hear the single and see a photo of the show from whence it comes at the bottom of this post. With that, I’ll let the band tell their own story, which they do in the text below that was sent down the PR wire.

Dig:

END OF HOPE – “NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR BAND”

End of Hope — featuring members of Kraut, Netherlands, Clothesline, and Eternal Black — release the first single from their forthcoming live EP, Alive IV, on all streaming services

End of Hope — comprised of members from several well-known New York City acts including Kraut, Netherlands, Clothesline, and Eternal Black — have released “Nobody Cares About Your Band” as the first single from their forthcoming live EP, Alive IV. “Nobody Cares About Your Band” is now available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Bandcamp and other streaming services. Alive IV is currently available for pre-order via their Bandcamp page (endofhope.bandcamp.com) and other digital outlets. The EP releases on Friday, September 15, 2023 on all streaming services.

THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (STRAIGHT FROM END OF HOPE)

Alive IV was recorded live at Strange Brew in Norwich, CT on Saturday, March 25th, 2023 while supporting our latest full length album, Pushback is Strong.

The show was captured on audio by the mighty Andy Stackpole who has done live sound for everyone from the Bad Brains to Snoop Dogg & Whiz Khalifa. Tony Reed of Mos Generator did a stellar job of mixing and mastering the recordings. The end result captures the rawness and attack of our live shows. The intended effect is that you feel as if you are there, getting pummeled by the amps and drums. Andy and Tony helped us hit that mark.

The tracks are a mix of old and new. A few band favorites from Pushback is Strong, as well as some of the songs from Cease & Destroy that have become live staples.

The title and cover art for Alive IV is our tribute to one of the greatest live albums of all time, Alive II by KISS.

We chose “Nobody Cares About Your Band” as the first single because everyone who has ever played in a band knows the deal. “Stage lights are low, do what you can, Ten punks in the club, including the sound man… .” No matter the circumstances, you gotta get up there, and give it your all.

The cover art of the “Nobody Cares About Your Band” single shows us playing in front of a capacity crowd of zero.

~~

End of Hope consists of Davey Gunner of New York Hardcore legends Kraut on vocals, Dave Richman of Netherlands, Witch Taint, and St. Bastard on drums, Davis Schlachter of Brooklyn’s heavy blues purveyors Clothesline and Reign of Zaius on bass, and Ken Wohlrob of Brooklyn doom heavyweights Eternal Black on guitar.

Alive IV track listing:
1. Pushback is Strong
2. Nobody Cares About Your Band
3. Fill the Void
4. Curtain Call
5. Last Night
6. Guilt Trip
7. Arc of Movement

Live recording produced by Andy Stackpole
Mixed and Mastered by Tony Reed
Recorded live, warts and all, at Strange Brew in Norwich, CT on March 25th, 2023
All Songs by End of Hope
© 2023 End of Hope / All Rights Reserved
Arc of Movement Records
Band Photos: Steven J. Messina, Alan Rand, Joe Bottari

End of Hope is:
Davey Gunner: Vocals
Dave Richman: Drums
Davis Schlachter: Bass
Ken Wohlrob: Guitars

https://endofhope.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/endofhopenyc/
https://www.instagram.com/endofhopenyc/
https://twitter.com/endofhopenyc
https://soundcloud.com/endofhope

End of Hope, “Nobody Cares About Your Band”

New York’s End of Hope release their sophomore full-length, Pushback is Strong, on March 14. And, uh, it’s kind of a burner. I recognize hardcore punk might not be everyone’s thing, but as the four-piece with members of Netherlands, Eternal Black, Reign of Zaius, Clothesline and Kraut make clear from the very first hook of opener and longest track (immediate points) “Behavioral Modification,” there’s as much Melvins in what they do — at least at times — as early Agnostic Front or whatever other original-era NYHC outfit you want to namedrop. So you might break an arm at the show, but it’d probably be because you slipped and fell. You really should be more careful. Also you could get hit by a bus crossing the street. Do I need to go on?

The 11-song outing sprints through 29 minutes and is the follow-up to 2019’s Cease and Destroy (discussed here), with “Fastball” and the title-track picking up from “Behavioral Modification” with a genuinely down-to-business mentality. Vocalist Davey Gunner leads the charge with some tongue-in-cheek awareness in the more swinging “Nobody Cares About Your Band” and the later “Freedom Denied” — which, though I haven’t seen a lyric sheet, I think might be about leaving action figures in their original packaging? — while raw punk numbers like “Nothing to See Here” and the minute-long “The Iron,” which starts with a sample of James Cagney from White Heat saying he’s on top of the world, speed by and leave it to the listener to try and keep up, bruises and all.

“Curtain Call” follows “Fill the Void,” and both of those as well as the penultimate “Cover Your Eyes” a short time later find a place for themselves between sludge rock and gang-shout hardcore, which seems to be where End of Hope are heading or, if you don’t want to predict the future, is where this material leans toward.  Fair enough. Guitarist Ken Wohlrob, bassist Davis Schlachter and drummer Dave Richman have all played in ‘heavier’ bands (listed above, also below), so that some of that influence would sneak in even as they pointedly direct themselves elsewhere — you might say they’re pushing back on it — isn’t necessarily shocking, and while my head immediately goes to Animosity-era C.O.C. when I hear the elbow-chucking riff of “Freedom Denied,” slower but still duly aggro, I’ll allow that’s probably more my own ignorance of the style than actual sonic likeness.

Following “Cover Your Eyes,” on which Richman hits the snare like he wants it to stay hit — I know that doesn’t make sense but it’s still true — and End of Hope work their way into a lurching groove at the end, the closer “Seed Indecision” caps with more angles to its twisting riff and a layered vocal that completes a vibe that feels complementary to “Behavioral Modification” back at the outset. One of just three inclusions over three minutes long (though it doesn’t actually use all of its 3:12), it evens out to a more straight-ahead push before Gunner‘s last held-out line is stretched across what in context here feels like a long fade.

Though one is tempted, as you might be able to tell, to liken its more hardcore-derived aspects to physicality, violence, the proverbial kick in the pants, etc., the truth is Pushback is Strong fluidly brings together its most intense and less-throttled moments. With a clear production sound, End of Hope give no ground in terms of live energy, and their no-bullshit attitude is suitable to their own songs as well as the style in which they reside. I was never cool enough for hardcore, never had enough friends for songs about how they’re like family to really make sense, but it’s not hard to appreciate the niche End of Hope are finding for themselves, and wherever they end up, the going is a good time.

“Seed Indecision” premieres on the player below, followed by more info courtesy of the band.

Enjoy:

End of Hope on “Seed Indecision”:

“‘Seed Indecision’ was destined to be the final summary statement for Pushback is Strong. It is a perfect encapsulation of our goals for this new album: wanting to shove as hard as we can against the boundaries of what can be considered heavy rock or hardcore punk, finding our own ground somewhere outside the genres. Like all the songs on the new album, the dynamics are amped. We’re trying to keep the listener on their toes and give them something they’ve never heard before. We want it to be anthemic. We want it to pack a wallop. We want you, the person hearing it, to say, “Fuck! What was that?” and hit the play button again and again. We hope you dig it and sing along.”

End of Hope — featuring members of Kraut, Netherlands, Clothesline, and Eternal Black — release second album, Pushback Is Strong, on March 14, 2023

End of Hope — comprised of members from several well-known New York City acts including Kraut, Netherlands, Clothesline, and Eternal Black — will release their second album, Pushback Is Strong, on March 14th, 2023. The album will be for sale in both digital and CD formats via their Bandcamp page (endofhope.bandcamp.com) and available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and other services. Pushback Is Strong features eleven songs that push the boundaries of what hardcore punk and heavy rock n’ roll can be — a potent cocktail of high-volume speed rock, heavy riffs, and anthemic punk rock choruses.

The band consists of Davey Gunner of New York Hardcore legends Kraut on vocals, Dave Richman of Netherlands, Witch Taint, and St. Bastard on drums, Davis Schlachter of Brooklyn’s heavy blues purveyors Clothesline on bass, and Ken Wohlrob of Brooklyn doom heavyweights Eternal Black on guitar. End of Hope formed in 2018 and released a two-song EP, titled D E M O, in March of that year. They followed that with their debut full-length album, Cease & Destroy, in November 2019.

According to the band, “Our goal for this second album was to push everything out to the furthest extreme,” adding, “We wanted a much more dynamic and diverse album that would keep surprising the listener. The punk songs are more hardcore, the sludgy songs are even heavier, and from track to track to track, there is no letup. We wanted the listener to feel pummeled from the first guitar riff to the final scream.”

Pushback Is Strong was recorded at Suburban Elvis Studios in New York with production, mixing, and mastering duties being handled by Joe Kelly and Kol Marshall (Ministry, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Eternal Black, Begotten), the same production team that created the thick wall of sound for Cease & Destroy.

Pushback is Strong track listing:
1. Behavioral Modification
2. Fastball
3. Pushback is Strong
4. Nobody Cares About Your Band
5. Nothing to See Here
6. The Iron
7. Fill the Void
8. Curtain Call
9. Freedom Denied
10. Cover Your Eyes
11. Seed Indecision

Produced, Mixed, and Mastered by Joe Kelly & Kol Marshall
Recorded at Suburban Elvis Studios, Fall 2021 / Spring 2022
All Songs by End of Hope
Arc of Movement Records

End of Hope:
Davey Gunner: vocals
Ken Wohlrob: guitar
Davis Schlachter: bass
Dave Richman: drums

End of Hope on Facebook

End of Hope on Instagram

End of Hope on Bandcamp

End of Hope website

Obsidian Sky Records website

I’ve written about End of Hope a couple times before. When their demo came out in 2018, when they released their first album, Cease and Destroy (discussed here) in 2019, so now that the latter is coming out on vinyl through Colorado’s Chain Reaction Records, I’m more than glad to follow-up and let anyone who might see this know about it, even though since it’s hardcore, it’s not exactly what generally gets covered around here.

As to the question of why not, well, I’m not really into hardcore. And as to the next question of why I’m covering End of Hope as an exception to that rule, it’s both because their songs are pretty cool even if they’re not my thing and because they’re relevant by proximity, if not directly so. Dude up on the right there is Ken Wohlrob from Eternal Black. Hanging out in back is Davis Schlachter from Reign of Zaius, and both of those groups have been covered here many times, so yeah, relevant. In any case, you haven’t spent any money on vinyl yet today — unless you have, in which case, you’ve already got the ball rolling — so it seems to me you might as well put that itchy trigger finger to good use and at least check out the record if not preorder the LP.

Details came down the PR wire:

End of Hope’s Cease & Destroy to get vinyl release via Chain Reaction Records

Pre-orders available now via the label and band sites.

END OF HOPE — comprised of members from several well-known New York City acts including Kraut, St. Bastard, Reign of Zaius, and Eternal Black — will release their debut album, Cease & Destroy, on vinyl for the first time via CHAIN REACTION RECORDS. The vinyl version of Cease & Destroy will be released in early March 2021. Fans can pre-order the limited-edition vinyl via the band’s Bandcamp page (endofhope.bandcamp.com) and Chain Reaction Records site (chainreactionrecords.com).

Cease & Destroy features nine songs in the band’s trademark Motörhead-meets-Black Flag style — a potent cocktail of high-volume speed rock and anthemic choruses. It was first released on CD and as a digital download on November 19, 2019 via the band’s Arc of Movement Records. The limited-edition vinyl will be available on green vinyl and limited to 300 copies. The music was mastered for vinyl by Joe Kelly of Suburban Elvis Studios who produced Cease & Destroy along with Kol Marshall.

According to guitarist Ken Wohlrob, “We’re super damn excited to be working with Josh and Justin at Chain Reaction Records.” He added, “They’ve already helped spread the word about us through their shop and it means a lot that they’re willing to step-up and help us to finally release a vinyl version of Cease & Destroy.” Josh Lent of Chain Reaction Records says of the band, “With Sabbath reeking riffs, End of Hope pushes Hardcore forward while respecting their Punk Rock roots. Black Sabbath. NYHC. END OF HOPE.”

Cease and Destroy track listing:
1. Hypocrisy
2. Last Night
3. Guilt Trip
4. The Hardest Thing
5. What Was I Thinking?
6. End of Hope
7. Excessive Fortune
8. The Deal
9. Arc of Movement

End of Hope is:
Davey Gunner: Vocals
Dave Richman: Drums
Davis Schlachter: Bass
Ken Wohlrob: Guitars

https://endofhope.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/endofhopenyc/
https://www.instagram.com/endofhopenyc/
https://twitter.com/endofhopenyc
https://soundcloud.com/endofhope
http://www.chainreactionrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/chainreaction303/

End of Hope, Cease and Destroy (2019)

I’m neither qualified to comment on the vibrant history of stylized aggression that is New York hardcore nor inclined to pretend otherwise, but with members of Eternal Black and Reign of Zaius involved here, End of Hope once again show the relation between hardcore and tonally-heavier fare that goes back for as long as one might want to look. End of Hope‘s debut album is called Cease and Destroy and will be self-released on Nov. 19 as nine songs and 27 minutes varying in sonic intensity at any given moment, but united around a presentation that is clenched-fist tense and prone to violent outbursts, as, frankly, one would hope it would be either in the punkish sub-two-minute blast “What Was I Thinking?” or the more complex closer “Arc of Movement,” which resolves the album at a full sprint after the brief but spectacular plunder has concluded.

Heart’s everything for this kind of release and End of Hope‘s collective heart is clearly in it, so what the hell. Take a couple minutes and peruse the album info and dig into “Arc of Movement” below, then maybe you do the Bandcamp thing, then you go about the rest of your day. Alright? Alright.

Enjoy:

End of Hope — featuring members of Kraut, St. Bastard, Reign of Zaius, and Eternal Black — release debut album, Cease & Destroy, on November 19, 2019

End of Hope — comprised of members from several well-known New York City acts including Kraut, St. Bastard, Reign of Zaius, and Eternal Black — will release their debut album, Cease & Destroy, on November 19th, 2019. The album will be for sale in both digital and CD formats via their Bandcamp page (endofhope.bandcamp.com) and available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and other services. Cease & Destroy features nine songs in the band’s trademark Motörhead-meets-Black Flag style — a potent cocktail of high-volume speed rock and anthemic choruses.

The band consists of Davey Gunner of New York Hardcore legends Kraut on vocals, Dave Richman of the one-man sludge-and-doom project St. Bastard on drums, Davis Schlachter of Brooklyn’s ape-rock purveyors Reign of Zaius on bass, and Ken Wohlrob of Brooklyn doom heavyweights Eternal Black on guitar. They formed in 2018 and released a two-song EP, titled D E M O, in March of that year.

According to vocalist Davey Gunner, “I’m super excited about this album,” adding, “It’s probably the best lyrics I have written in years, particularly because of the meaning and motivation behind it all.”

Cease & Destroy was recorded at Suburban Elvis Studios in New York with production, mixing, and mastering duties being handled by Joe Kelly and Kol Marshall (Ministry, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Eternal Black, Begotten). “We knew that Joe and Kol were the guys who could capture the live sound of the band,” says guitarist Ken Wohlrob. “I had worked with them on all the Eternal Black albums, and it was key that we get across what people were hearing at the live shows. That attack, the wall of volume that is such an important part of what we do.”

In addition to the new album, End of Hope has also released a cover of Discharge’s classic song “Protest and Survive” as a digital-only single (available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services).
https://open.spotify.com/track/3JIt7OzzTfjlRNQsJiyT6G

Cease and Destroy track listing:
1. Hypocrisy
2. Last Night
3. Guilt Trip
4. The Hardest Thing
5. What Was I Thinking?
6. End of Hope
7. Excessive Fortune
8. The Deal
9. Arc of Movement

End of Hope is:
Davey Gunner: Vocals
Dave Richman: Drums
Davis Schlachter: Bass
Ken Wohlrob: Guitars

https://endofhope.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/endofhopenyc/
https://www.instagram.com/endofhopenyc/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7pWGk80FILrxb2HMNRLFjD
https://soundcloud.com/endofhope

It’s a demo, so that’s what they called it. The recorded-in-Gowanus debut two-songer from Brooklyn four-piece End of Hope, titled, yes, Demo, runs a little over five minutes long and is comprised of two tracks that look to bridge the gap between the tones of Northeastern heavy with the push and attitude of classic New York hardcore. What ties the two sounds together, largely, is a sense of aggression, and both “Guilt Trip” and “Last Night” have that work for them to be sure, as vocalist Davey Gunner shouts over Ken Wohlrob‘s riffing. The second track is shorter, faster and meaner than the first, so it could well be that the band ultimately plays to both styles as they move toward making their first long-player this Fall.

The underlying point, of course, is I’m curious to find out, which means that Demo has done its job thoroughly. You can hear it streaming at the bottom of this post. The band make their live debut in Brooklyn tomorrow. Here’s info:

End of Hope — featuring members of Kraut, St. Bastard, Reign of Zaius, and Eternal Black — release their first demo and announce a debut show on May 4th, 2018

End of Hope — a new band comprised of members from several well-known New York City acts including Kraut, St. Bastard, Reign of Zaius, and Eternal Black — have released their first demo via their Bandcamp page (endofhope.bandcamp.com). The demo can be streamed or downloaded for free. They will be playing their debut show at Hank’s Saloon in Brooklyn on Friday, May 4th, 2018.

The band consists of Davey Gunner of New York Hardcore legends Kraut and Bowhead on vocals, Dave Richman of the one-man sludge-and-doom project St. Bastard on drums, Davis Schlachter of Brooklyn’s ape-rock purveyors Reign of Zaius on bass, and Ken Wohlrob of Brooklyn doom heavyweights Eternal Black on guitar.

According to vocalist Davey Gunner, End of Hope is “A collaboration of four musicians with many years of experience in the New York City music scene, with marinating musical tastes that produced quick, hard, and heavy results.”

The demo consists of two new songs, “Guilt Trip” and “Last Night.” They were recorded by the band at their rehearsal space in Gowanus with Davis Schlachter handling all production duties. Both combine the band’s approach of melding Motörhead with Black Flag, punk and speed rock played at maximum volume with anthemic choruses. In addition, they already have enough songs written for a full album which they will record in the Fall of 2018.

End of Hope’s debut show will be at Hank’s Saloon in Brooklyn on Friday, May 4th. Joining them on the bill will be Elefant Killer, Eyes of The Living, and Banth. The show will start at 8 P.M.

End of Hope Demo track listing:
1. Guilt Trip
2. Last Night

End of Hope is:
Davey Gunner: Vocals
Dave Richman: Drums
Davis Schlachter: Bass
Ken Wohlrob: Guitars

https://endofhope.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/endofhopenyc/
https://www.instagram.com/endofhopenyc/
https://twitter.com/endofhopenyc
https://soundcloud.com/endofhope

End of Hope, Demo (2018)