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