Earlier this month, Massachusetts hardcore legends The Hope Conspiracy returned to the West Coast for the first time since 2010 for a run of shows in conjunction with the release of their brand new LP, Tools of Oppression/Rule By Deception (Deathwish Records). Coming off three sold out shows on the East Coast, this tour would see Hope Con hit eight stops up and down the West Coast, from San Diego to Seattle, even making a stop to play a once-in-a-lifetime sundown set at the legendary “Giant Rock” in the High Desert.
Sunday, September 8th saw the band return to Chain Reaction, the infamous Anaheim venue they last played in January, 2010 on their final tour of the West Coast before their near 14 year silence to follow. Despite the show landing on the Sunday, the small venue was buzzing with anticipation of The Hope Conspiracy’s return, an air of both curiosity and excitement filling the room, a sense of disbelief that we would be witnessing the return of the band who had defined a genre and paved the way for so many who would come after them, and then slumbered for so long. Supported by an incredible roster of talent including Ruin, Face Facts, Violencia, and Dead Heat, The Hope Conspiracy’s return to Orange County was sure to be a night to remember.
The evening was set off right by Ruin, fast paced, metallic hardcore straight out of Orange County. The band opened with an energy that defined the night, vocalist Noah Perkins leaping down from the stage to perform from the floor, opening up the pit, punctuating verses with spin kicks, and the crowd responded in kind. The pit was open and the tone of the night set. Floor Hardcore forever.
Hailing from the Coachella Valley, Face Facts joined The Hope Conspiracy for the entire SoCal run of shows, and their set at Chain Reaction was a burner. Playing fast, heavy, thrash infused hardcore, Face Facts knows how to kick off a party, and this night was no exception. As vocalist Sage Jackson paced the stage, backed by a thundering wall of sound from the band, Face Facts set the room in motion and bodies filled the pit, pushing forward to sing along. It was clear the band was having fun and the room was filled with a positive energy that left everyone hyped for more as the full throttle set came to a close.
Also joining Hope Con for several of the SoCal dates was Violencia, fast and heavy powerviolence from Tijuana, Mexico who mix blistering guitar with doom laden interludes to incredible effect. Highly anticipated by so many in the room, the band definitely did not disappoint, crushing song after song at breakneck pace, relentlessly attacking their set, a flurry of blast beats and intense riffs sending the room swirling.
Next up were Dead Heat out of Oxnard, playing an awesome brand of crossover thrash hardcore that has put them at the forefront of modern Nardcore. As the band tore into their set, the floor filled and the pit came to life, bodies once again crashing across the room in time with the music. Fast and furious, Dead Heat were perfectly placed in the penultimate spot, capitalizing on the frenetic energy that had begun to amass throughout the night, and focusing it back into the crowded room. The perfect mix of good times, heavy riffs, and wild aggression to hone the crowd’s focus and prepare for the final act.
A quiet fell over the now packed room as The Hope Conspiracy took to the stage they last played over a decade ago, the crowd anxiously jockeying for position in the small pit, a mix of both trepidation and anticipation filling the air. Would the band once so famous for their unforgettably ferocious live sets deliver so many years after they had last stepped into this room? As the thundering first notes of “Those Who Gave us Yesterday” echoed out it was clear that the passage of time had only served to refine their craft and distill the rage that had always been so palpable in their music into its purest form.
As vocalist Kevin Baker screamed the ferocious opening lyrics into the darkened room, the crowd pressed forward, no longer wondering what the night would bring, but rather swallowed whole by the all encompassing sound of a band only just now reaching its full potential, hell unleashed as chaos and fury poured forward. In that moment, there had been no fourteen year gap, no hiatus, and no forgetting that The Hope Conspiracy always has been and forever will be a force to be reckoned with.
The headlining set raged on with a mix of songs new and old, bodies filling the pit and piling on top of one another to scream out the words it seemed the whole room knew by heart. Between songs, Baker pressed the crowd to give more, challenging them to keep up with a band leaving it all on the floor, and as the legends tore into “Truth and Purpose” the crowd responded by once again pushing forward, crowding the stage in an attempt to sing along to the words written more than two decades ago but that resonate as strongly today as ever. “The fight still burns,” and clearly it forever will.
As the set came to a close with the band tearing into “They Know Not,” it was clear that no amount of time could ever serve to dull The Hope Conspiracy’s blade. We’re all still guilty, and the Massachusetts legends are nowhere near ready to lay down their arms when there are still battles to be fought. Hardcore isn’t about how old you are or where you came from, it’s not about whether or not you fit in, but rather your willingness to stand out. Each band on the night’s bill exemplified these tenets, using their unique voices and points of view to send a message, to scream for change, to create, and to unite. These basic principles were as true when the Hope Conspiracy played Chain Reaction fourteen years ago as they are today, and no passage of time will or should ever change them. And, while The Hope Conspiracy’s run of US shows may be over for now, let’s hope they don’t return to their slumber for too long while there’s still work to be done.
Photos by Matt TxF
The Hope Conspiracy
Dead Heat
Violencia
Face Facts
Ruin
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