Artist: Discourage
Title: Forlorn Hope
Release: 7″ EP / Digital
Year: 2020
Label: Patient Zero Records
Discourage is a name I’ve heard thrown around a bit as of late so I was really curious to check this new record out.
Hailing from Oakland, the band is comprised of four dedicated individuals with the intent of playing fist-pumping hardcore that lives up to high expectations. Each of the four songs on the EP is a real banger with a modern approach and a continuous sense of urgency to be heard.
The songs range from a minute to two minutes and a half, combining the classic fast-paced hardcore sound with some catchy hooks and danceable breakdowns in the veins of the early ’00s bands (think of Carry On, Internal Affairs, Set It Straight, etc.) Despite being fast and angry most of the times, Discourage have a lot of groove to their music and their sound is quite fresh compared to others in the genre. The lyrics on this EP also take a well-deserved swing at contemporary politics and social inequality without being caught in the run-of-the-mill hardcore lyricism that often lacks any real substance.
All in all, Forlorn Hope is a great EP that is sure not to disappoint those looking for quality modern hardcore. I hope we will see more bands like Discourage, combining urgent fast-paced tempo with some nice melodic hooks, stomping breakdowns and good politics. I’m sure Discourage will continue to impress with coming releases.
