The Citizen
When Auburn metal quintet If Hope Dies reunites this weekend, it punctuates a decade of intense performances in the same place that hosted some of its first.
It was on the floor of the Booker T. Washington Community Center gym that If Hope Dies spilled the first of countless drops of sweat playing its visceral style of heavy metal. And it’s there that the band will once again perform music from its two full-length albums — “The Ground is Rushing Up to Meet Us” and “Life in Ruin” — which wrap positive messages about changing mankind’s destructive ways inside chugging riffs and rapid-fire rhythms.
“There’s a lot of screaming, but there’s a lot of melody to it, too” said drummer Brandon Wakeham. “It’s pretty brutal, but we try to be really musical with it. We’re not just out there to be violent.”
If Hope Dies has ventured from Cayuga County to musically assault every major American city during the group’s career, which was suspended two years ago. But Wakeham insists the physical demands of playing such draining music several nights a week did not motivate the hiatus.
“It’s a great feeling to go get exhausted and sweaty every night,” he said. “It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done. Meeting people in different cities was a really good experience.”
Distance from family and friends, as well as the desire to pursue school and other musical projects, paused the band’s career. But Wakeham, singer Al French, bassist Gary Mann, guitarists Thad Jackson and Brian Ward remained friends. This fall, they realized they all shared the free time to field the requests of If Hope Dies fans eager for a reunion.
After that mini-tour of upstate New York winds down in Auburn, no plans are in place for any future shows. Wakeham encourages If Hope Dies fans to seize the opportunity to see the band and commemorate the occasion with a special T-shirt for sale at the show.
“It’s just a one-time, ‘let’s get back together’-type thing,” Wakeham said. “We’re all glad to be back in town.”
If you go.
What: If Hope Dies
When: 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6
Where: Booker T. Washington Community Center, 23 Chapman Ave., Auburn
Cost: Free
Info: Call 253-3207 or visit www.myspace.com/ifhopedies
It was on the floor of the Booker T. Washington Community Center gym that If Hope Dies spilled the first of countless drops of sweat playing its visceral style of heavy metal. And it’s there that the band will once again perform music from its two full-length albums — “The Ground is Rushing Up to Meet Us” and “Life in Ruin” — which wrap positive messages about changing mankind’s destructive ways inside chugging riffs and rapid-fire rhythms.
“There’s a lot of screaming, but there’s a lot of melody to it, too” said drummer Brandon Wakeham. “It’s pretty brutal, but we try to be really musical with it. We’re not just out there to be violent.”
If Hope Dies has ventured from Cayuga County to musically assault every major American city during the group’s career, which was suspended two years ago. But Wakeham insists the physical demands of playing such draining music several nights a week did not motivate the hiatus.
“It’s a great feeling to go get exhausted and sweaty every night,” he said. “It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done. Meeting people in different cities was a really good experience.”
Distance from family and friends, as well as the desire to pursue school and other musical projects, paused the band’s career. But Wakeham, singer Al French, bassist Gary Mann, guitarists Thad Jackson and Brian Ward remained friends. This fall, they realized they all shared the free time to field the requests of If Hope Dies fans eager for a reunion.
After that mini-tour of upstate New York winds down in Auburn, no plans are in place for any future shows. Wakeham encourages If Hope Dies fans to seize the opportunity to see the band and commemorate the occasion with a special T-shirt for sale at the show.
“It’s just a one-time, ‘let’s get back together’-type thing,” Wakeham said. “We’re all glad to be back in town.”
If you go.
What: If Hope Dies
When: 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6
Where: Booker T. Washington Community Center, 23 Chapman Ave., Auburn
Cost: Free
Info: Call 253-3207 or visit www.myspace.com/ifhopedies
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