PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Chicago death metal outfit Broken Hope have been around since the early nineties. Before the internet surfaced, the only way to hear about different underground metal bands was by print. I actually heard about Broken Hope in the pages of Metal Maniacs Magazine and the writers had barely anything good to say about them. There was so much tension between one of the writers and the band, that they dedicated a song to his death, titled “Borivoj’s Demise,” on their full length 1991 debut Swamped In Gore. The band is still active in 2018, evolving their style to become a technical and well-oiled modern death metal machine, as evidenced in their most recent album, Mutilated and Assimilated.
With Mutilated And Assimilated, we get 11 tracks of in your face death metal exploring a number of different topics from Adolf Hitler’s death in “The Bunker” to environmental issues in “The Meek Shall Inherit Shit” and even horror movie themes in “Outback Incest Clan,” which pays homage to cannibal cult inbred families like the one in The Hills Have Eyes. Their latest single from this album is titled “The Carrion Eaters.” Check out the grotesque gore theme and an equally appalling video below. The title track and name of the album, Mutilated And Assimilated, is inspired by John Carpenter’s The Thing. The band has also released a very cool music video for this song, which I have included at the end of this review.
It’s intriguing how Broken Hope will jump all over the place with so many lyrical inspirations. The most amusing for me is the song “Malicious Meat Holes,” which has the band returning to the familiar offensive sexual lyrical territory of past releases like “Engorged With Impiety” off of the album Repulsive Conception in 1995, the first physical release I had actually purchased from the band. Then we get rather silly stuff like “The Necropants.” I’m sure the band was going for a more tongue-in-cheek approach with that one. Finally, songs like “Blast Frozen” remind me of past tracks like “Freezer Burnt” off of Repulsive Conception. The song “Beneath Antarctic Ice” reminds me in lyrical theme to “Waterlogged” off of Bowels Of Repugnance.
The band has definitely faced some challenges such as the death of their long time front man Joe Ptacek. They went on hiatus after the release of their fifth studio album Grotesque Blessings in 1999, and then resurfaced stronger than ever in 2013 with a new album titled Omen Of Disease and new vocalist named Damian Leski. Leski definitely filled the gaping hole Ptacek’s departure left as his style is very unique and uncompromising, which suits the band perfectly. Long time guitarist and songwriter as well as only original member Jeremy Wagner continues to push the envelope with the band. Wagner has also received some press for single handedly purchasing former Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman’s guitar collection, which he uses with great pride and as a tribute to the late legend. Wagner is a stand up guy and has also come into the spotlight with donating a farm he owned in Illinois to an animal rescue organization he has been involved with.
The clean crisp production and amazing guitar work of long time original member Jeremy Wagner and Chuck Wepfer are technical and jaw dropping in every way. All of the instruments stand out, showing that death metal has evolved and is alive and well in Broken Hope. The album is solid death metal, with some great horror themes mixed in, from a band that has stood the test of time.. I vote for Mutilated And Assimilated for the win, calling it a respectable display of what Broken Hope has progressed into.
