HOPE? – Your Perception Is Not My Reality EP

Over the last few years, and more specifically post-Covid, there has been a significant wave of punk rock from every corner of the globe, and I couldn’t be happier with the energy that’s been gracing our ears during this time.

HOPE? are a band comprised of some folks that have been entrenched in the DIY punk underground for many years and as personal friends, can say they are solid humans with sincere intentions in what they do. Considered a long-distance band, HOPE? reside in both Minneapolis and Portland as this ensemble has a long history of friendship, which makes this musical endeavor attainable.

HOPE? debut their first seven-inch release off Minneapolis based Desolate Records and French labels Symphony of Destruction and Fight For Your Mind in Europe with four tracks of hardcore anarcho-punk that bring attention to what good punk rock can do both sonically and ideologically. This era of hardcore, punk and everything in between has brought a wave of non-binary and female vocal intensity and HOPE? stands out among the crowd as Manda delivers a harsh lesson on the ills of life and constant grief felt among our community.

Fans of Axe Rash, Scarecrow, etc. keep your eyes and ears open for these folks. They just returned from a successful show at Skullfest and the momentum continues to build for these hardcore fanatics. With songs like “The Patriarchy Must be Destroyed” and “Take Back the Night” you know the subject at hand won’t be pulling any punches. Straight up, in your face punk rock that delivers a sincere message of angst and retribution. The last song “Retrograde” finishes this EP with a melodic change in tone which paints a sense of dread that provokes thought and an honest approach to writing punk as a function, and not a fashion. Get on this.