Hopeless Heroic
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Hopeless Heroic

London, England, United Kingdom | SELF

London, England, United Kingdom | SELF
Band Alternative Metal

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"Hopeless Heroic - Mechanical Lions EP Review"

"Fusing the disparate elements of Muse, Mozart and Metallica with the pump and grind of Hip Hop" - while that statement may not have been a checklist of all my favourite tastes in music, it certainly contained enough aural question marks to cause my interest in Hopeless Heroic to pique.

It appears that one of the main reasons for quizzed expressions and raised eyebrows in regard to this new and, frankly, exciting band from Scotland is that they house within their ranks a "rock-fuelled violin player." The only reason that this fact should become any kind of issue is because the inclusion of this unlikely - in standard rock territory at least - instrumentation actually takes this band's sound to another level. The opening track of this EP, the title track 'Mechanical Lions', throws the genre-blurring sound in your face before second track 'Guinea Pig Syndrome' uses the violin to jaw dropping effect in a song that has a million twists and turns and a venus fly trap of a hook.

The Hip Hop influence is perhaps at its strongest on 'Blindly Apparent', a song that seems to effortlessly segue from genre to genre yet all the while remaining soaked in infectious commercial rock waters. There's more than a hint of Lostprophets in some of these tunes but, seeing as that highly successful troupe of Welsh wonderboys seem to have pretty much perfected that huge commercial sound, that can only been seen here as a compliment.

The secret, for me, to turning heads in this business (yet keeping at least a spattering of credibility) is to wrap a universally-accepted sound in something different, something that puts your band head and shoulders above the crowd of copy cats, plagiarists and faceless friggin' wannabes. Hopeless Heroic, thanks to that violin player, have an angle, a spark, a sign of life in a business in a coma that provides them with truly genre-hurtling capabilities.

The band's forthcoming debut album, while being a stand-alone project, also acts as the soundtrack to frontman Gavin Bain's book California Schemin' which, before its 2010 release, already finds itself being adapted for the big screen by Irvine Welsh. On the strength of this EP, the band deserve to be filed under 'Ones To Watch.' - Gaz E - uberrock.co.uk


"Hopeless Heroic at The Barfly"

Being that the weather had sucked balls the last fews day I decided to take some precautionary measures and wear by mac for the first time in ages. By the time I reach Barfly in the early evening though Mr. Sun has decided to come down from his cloduy perch and bathe Camden in a bright, sparkly sheen. I now feel like a tool for wearing a jacket but feel that I will commit to it, never now when the weathers going to turn. So I enjoy a few drinks with my book and my mac, I feel like I should be in a Europe Camp tent instead of downstairs in The Barfly.

Going upstairs though is a different matter entirely. It always is in The Barfly. It changes from a stylish little seating area to a den of anticipation, excitement and… more booze all within a few bounds of the staircase.


As Delica Black take to the stage I realize that my pleasant summers eve is about to become something much more intense, like The Last of the Summer Wine being taken over by Dog the Bounty Hunter (now that’s a show I would pay to see).

They tear the place up before they even get off the starting blocks. Within moments a small mosh pit has formed to my left and fans are head banging with pure glee. Vocalist Chris Watt proves himself a master of the octave range floating breathlessly from a broken hearted cry to a ghoulish roar bringing a great sense of schizophrenia to most of the tracks. There is something fundamentally romantic about their sound but in every case the romance is falling down around their ears and we get to hear every single moment of it. If this sounds terribly grand the guys in Delica don’t show it. They look like the kind of guys you could very easily have a chat with after, Watt’s between song banter showing him to be a guy who just wants us to have a good time and I believe everyone was.

On the drums Andy Patrick was a fucking wildman never letting up for a instant. It looked and sounded as though the drum kit was going to disintegrate by the time the set was done. On guitar Alix Goode was equally ready for war, but like in action film when it’s the quietest one who is also the most dangerous looking. Looking through my notes after I found I had scribbled “He can fucking play”. The sound of the band resembling the harder moments of the Deftones and at times a faint echo of some old school Psychedelic Furs. The set passes in a heartbeat despite being over a half hour long. The mosh pit continued, aided on by a strobe and I was now sweating my nuts off in my mac.

Ah! Here comes the string section with their sheet music and lamp stand. Hang on did I just fall unconscious and end up at the proms. No I’d gone to the bar and came back to find Hopeless Heroic setting up.

A band I’ve been enjoying for a little while now. One of the main elements which impresses me is their use of a violin (Fans of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds more recent stuff I think will agree there is much to be said for it). Tonight though Hopeless Heroic have brought another violinist and a cello player. And what’s more Alix Goode re-appears on stage, in a fresh shirt and is tuning up. Goode could easily be one of the hardest work men in the unsigned scene right now.

As vocalist Gavin Bain takes to the stage the string section lead by Tony Sabberton begin to swirl as though an orchestra really is about to begin the festivities. Instead the entire band explode into I Cried Wolf. The first time they played the song live, but you couldn’t notice. The string section compliment the hard rock tones of the song brilliantly. It sounds as though there are 20 musicians on stage and at the front Bain conducts it all. They quickly move on to single Guinea Pig Syndrome, for which the strings take a back seat to let the band really show what they can do. Once again Alix Goode shows how damned versatile a player he is. Robert Bayley, on bass, easily switches between providing a funky groove to desolate heartbeat. He along with Sabberton and Dai Knight on drums provide immense backing vocals throughout. All the while Gavin Bain works the stage like a man who was fucking born to do it. There are no airs or graces, no sense of preciousness just the sense that while he’s on stage your in good hands. He gives you his all and it seems only polite to give something back.

Especially when they kick in to the unmistakable opening for Blindly Apparent (admittedly one of my favourite tracks right now). An incredible song to see performed live. The string section fucking sore, the drums switch from a hip-hop beat to annihilating punk, the vocals flitter between rapping to anguished cries fitting the songs theme of heartbreak. Plus it’s an awesome moment for some call-response action with the crowd. Seriously it’s incredible song.

The onslaught is quickly followed by Death Whispers which just sounds down right evil in comparison. If the drum kit had survived the Delica Black set in must have been waving a white flag by the time Knight was through with it. Throughout the set the crowd seem to be loving it all, hands are in the air, voices singing along and all the while my mac remains on.

Hopeless Heroic are becoming a force to be reckoned with on the live circuit and I seriously recommend taking your hard earned pennies and spending it on what will be an undoubtedly awesome night of epic punk/metal/rock with a bit of hip hop swagger and some violent violin thrown in.

On their website they state that they want to “kill mediocrity”. This is certainly music to be murdered by.

As I leave Barfly a very happy bunny, though soaked to the bone I am delighted to discover it’s raining outside. I knew that mac would pay off in the end. - Michael Dickinson - Clink Music Magazine


"Wolfgang Wearing A Backwards Cap"

WHAT’S THE STORY?: Citing Mozart, Muse and Metallica as inspiration, one could easily dump Hopeless Heroic into that pile of attention-seeking “Oh, I’m truly diverse thus better than you” pile. Yet, in this instance, we succumb. Scottish rapper Gavin Bain won a “Could You Be The Next Eminem?” competition by faking a West Coast accent, going on to support the legendary rapper and perform at historic venues such as Brixton Academy, reportedly earning more than £150,000 in the process. However the pretence was a tough one to keep up, and since revealing his true heritage in biography ‘California Schemin‘’, Irvine Welsh (renowned Scots author of ‘Trainspotting‘, amongst others) decided to adapt Bain’s story into a movie. Meanwhile, Bain’s put together Hopeless Heroic…

SOUNDS LIKE: an epic amalgamation of musical tasting tables. Spat rap, precise riffs and thunderous drums collide into escalating violin parts. A nod towards nu-metal, a tip of the hat to melodic hardcore, and Hopeless Heroic board the train to the musical circus in the sky.

YOU’LL LIKE THIS IF YOU LIKE: being surprised. - Judas Morgan - Redhotvelvet.co.uk


"Hopeless Heroic at Nice'n'Sleazy, Glasgow"

Finally, the audience begins to multiply and there is a distinctive energy in the air as we eagerly wait for Hopeless Heroic, this evening's headliners, to take to the stage to mark the beginning of their Scottish Tour. As an unexpected guitar riff abruptly soars throughout the modest venue, multiple members of Hopeless Heroic materialise from nowhere and leap through the audience targeting the stage. From the outset, it is apparent that this is no ordinary band, with a peculiar captivation flowing from violinist Tony Sabberton.



Together the band erupts with energy and elation, entrancing the now animated crowd with their metal/punk/rock vibe. With a stage power comparable to that of Zack De La Rocha, lead vocalist Brains is wholly immersed in the music while the rest of the band thrash around the stage, submissive to the domination of their sound. Throughout songs such as 'Almost Dead Famous' and 'Wake Up and Smell the Coffin' the band dives into the audience creating an interactive buzz right through the crowd, before ending their set with an explosion of intensity.

As the words 'one more song' are repeatedly bellowed from the audience, it is evident that this is one band that will always leave you wanting more. - Emma McCall - Yrock.co.uk


Discography

The Mechanical Lions EP - 2009 (radio play, including BBCradio6 and XFM)
Guinea Pig Syndrome (Single & Music Video) - 2010
The Brasco EP - 2010

Brasco (single) - 2010 (Also Inc. radio play)

COMING - April 2011 - Become The Monster

Photos

Bio

Their 2009 debut release Mechanical Lions received outstanding reviews from the music press. RockSound gave the record 8/10 and described it as “Masterfully engaging with elements from across the board in terms of genre.” Big Cheese Magazine put the band on its Xmas Big Hitters CD with Lacuna Coil and Alexisonfire awarding the EP 4/5 claiming; “This quintet refused to be pigeonholed, exhilarating as it is refreshing, edgy yet commercial, their sound is quite unique.” In January Kerrang gave the band its full page Introducing spread and as 2010 began Metal Hammer spoke of their sound as “Off the wall bouncy RATM-esque riffs, US feel with a UK cool – if you like Linkin Park you’ll love this.”

On top of the critical acclaim, HH mercilessly toured the UK last year, selling out legendary London venues The Barfly and Waters Rats, as well as an unforgettable gig at the 100 Club. National radio stations XFM and Total Rock Radio took a shine to the band and they acquired the highest patronage from Metal legend Bruce Dickinson via his BBC 6 Music Rock Show. Media attention continued as BBC Radio Scotland made them the focus of a documentary as well as an appearance on the cult Webcom ‘Svengali’.

We are dedicated to our fans and will never sell out.

Our lead singer Gavin Bain conned the music industry to prove a point.

We will die fighting for our art and our dreams.

We pledge to always deliver interesting songs with controversial topics thus giving the fans real content and a reason to believe in music again.

Our band consists of an alcoholic, a con artist, a gay guy and a violinist.

We are not what they want you to listen to but make no mistake we are here to kill Mediocrity.