CATHARSIS - Hope Against Hope
When I woke up on August 1st, 2025, I did not expect to be surprised with the first CATHARSIS record in 24 years. I may have actually asked myself "is this the same CATHARSIS"?
It is, and I gotta say, it's really good. I’ve had to force myself to listen to other records every couple listens just so I don’t burn myself out on Hope Against Hope.
This record feels like it was written with intent and care. Based on what I’ve heard and read about how it was recorded, I think the band took their time with these songs. Hope Against Hope isn’t a whole new sound for CATHARSIS. It’s still their tasteful blend of crust and hardcore, but I think these songs lean a little more hardcore sounding than the older records.
There are tempo changes in the right places, softer parts, build ups, anthemic fast parts, blasts, and tasteful leads. There's even violin. All keeping these songs, half of which go longer than 5 minutes or more from getting boring. These songs don’t pass you by, letting you sit with them. A record that with repeat listens you start to have favorite parts in different songs. There is a part in the middle of Eremocene that I get excited for every time it starts.
I think you can hear subtle hints of the bands that came after CATHARSIS, like REQUIEM and even UNDYING, in these songs. All the instruments are perfectly balanced and sound good. Brian’s voice sounds great, which to be honest I was not sure would be the case. There are times over the past 15 years when it did not seem like his voice was able to hold up live from the years of screaming. After the first 2 or 3 listens I was prepared to say that the additional vocals on Power, which I will call operatic because I don’t know the right word to call them, were not for me, but they grew on me and I genuinely love how they sound on the song. Lyrically, again, this record is nothing new for CATHARSIS, which is to say they are thoughtful and interesting. The only exception being the opening track, Nocturne, whose repeated lyrics “The darkness before the dawn, it just goes on and on” left me wanting a little more.
In a time when we are flush with punk bands whose anarchist politics feel more of an aesthetic companion to their music instead of their music being an expression of those politics, CATHARSIS continues to remain earnest and sincere in their beliefs, making it as important to the band as the songs.
This record was genuinely a wonderful surprise. The day it was released I got to chat with so many friends about how much we liked it. I’m not going to make the grandiose statement that punk needed this record, but I will say that I’m glad it exists.
You can hear it here: https://crimethinc.bandcamp.com/album/hope-against-hope and order it here: https://store.crimethinc.com/products/catharsis-hope-against-hope-lp
Emery