Forlorn Hope is a Historical and Storytelling Heavy Metal band from the UK. August 30th, 2024. The band released their second EP album, “Valour – Part 1.” The EP was promoted through Stampede Press UK.
Forlorn Hope, Valour – Part 1: This review will evaluate every aspect of the album, from its intricate musical composition to its production. Our analysis will provide valuable insights to help you determine if this album is worth adding to your collection.
The First Three Sins of Valour – Part 1
Let’s start by discussing the first three sins of Forlorn Hope and their album, Valour – Part 1.
The First Sin, The Strings/Keys: Features a twin guitar setup with a robust and solid arrangement of epic and majestic riffs and rhythmic chords. At the same time, the bass provides a solid foundation aroma within the musical spectrum. The Second Sin, The Vocals: Involves in clean and powerful that captivates the listener from start to finish. The Third Sin—The Percussions: Delves into the vast world of epic and powerful drum work that powers the music with various tempos, beats, and strikes.
The Fourth Sin: Overall Discussion: Retelling of historical, often tragic, selflessness, sacrifice and unwavering bravery stories.
The Fusilier greets the listener with robust and epic instrumental and vocal arrangements that immediately entice them into the music as they press the play button.
The listener continues their journey with the second piece, Down In Flames, and the remaining three songs, which take the listener on a historical journey through a collection of stories about recipients of the Victoria Cross1. Forlorn Hope retells these incredible, often tragic, stories of selflessness, sacrifice and unwavering bravery from the award’s inception in the mid-19th century to the Second World War. In this first part, the band tells the stories of six men: Luke O’Connor (‘The Fusilier‘), James Brindley-Nicholson (‘Down in Flames‘), Edward Unwin (‘Ulysses, 1915’), William ‘Billy’ McFadzean (‘Greater Love Hath No Man‘), as well as Nevill Coghill and Teignmouth Melville (‘The Last Ride’). The stories featured on this EP, covered by the ‘Valour’ project overall, are incredibly moving.
Valour Part 1 might be a short release, with only five songs spread over twenty minutes that take the listener on an epic journey. However, the band’s music is like flicking through a history textbook, binding the songs into an epic story for the listener. At the same time, Forlorn Hope makes history more fun, enjoyable, appealing, and engaging, but educational.
Each song exhibits a distinct atmosphere, composition, instruments, mood, tempo, and mood, each of which captures the essence of the music. These changes in each song help keep the listener engaged and enacting, helping bring each song alive. You cannot go wrong with this, can you?
Valour Part 1 is a heavy metal delight from pressing that play button. This twenty—minute epic fruit of art comprises a solid and robust composition with music, lyrics, instruments, and devilmanship. Let’s take a moment to discuss the lyrics. The songs are not written to entertain the listener, but are a captivating blend of heavily researched and historically accurate storytelling and a revitalized approach to songwriting. Each lyric within each song brings out the theme and adds extra depth to the theme and music.
Discovering this music gem takes me back to the classic/traditional heavy metal and power metal days of the 1970s and 80s, with bands like Saxon, Judas Priest, Dio, Iron Maiden, Helloween, Gamma Ray, and many others.
The devilmanship composition of the instrumental brings out the music but also puts life in the music and makes the music come alive, with the use of heavy and majestic riffs that drive the music. The drum provides power to the songs, while the vocals bring out and deliver the songs. At the same time, the vocals are clean and powerful; when the high notes kick, there is a hit of Rob Halford‘s harsh screams in the back of the vocals.
The production has no fault; the sound is clear and crystal, and the production brings out the sound, composition and devilmanship. Everything is floored to perfection and executed flawlessly.
Again – Valour is short, but it will make you become good friends with the repeat button. End of the day… play Valour louder than hell.
The album ends with the last song, The Last Ride. We thank Stampede Press U.K. for letting us review Forlorn Hope and their EP, Valour – Part 1. We will conclude the review by discussing the final three sins.
You’re Listening to “Down In Flames”
PlayThe Last Three Sins
Let’s discuss the last three sins of Forlorn Hope and their album, Valour – Part 1.
The Fifth Sin, The Memorabilia:
The discovery of Forlorn Hope was an unforgettable and enjoyable experience for us. But not giving us music, but a musical heavy metal history lesson. And I do like bands that do this, give us lessons about history, but also it can be about a counties myths and legions. Valour – Part 1 is a twenty-minute fruit of art. The length of the release is optimal, as it leaves the audience eagerly anticipating the bands’ upcoming musical endeavours.
The Sixth Sin, The Artwork:
The album artwork was created by the band’s long-time collaborator, artist Mitchell, who executed the picture perfectly. The image captures the music’s mood and atmosphere, drawing you into the music. At the same time, it honours the brave and those who give their lives for their Queen/King and country.
The Seventh Sin, Disrelish:
There is nothing to disrelish within the musical spectrum of Forlorn Hope and their album, Valour – Part 1.
This concludes the Forlorn Hope, Valour – Part 1 review.
Track-listing:
- The Fusilier
- Down In Flames
- Ulysses, 1915
- Greater Love Hath No Man (Instrumental)
- The Last Ride
Emberfrost Is:
- John Roughley: bass
- Alex Bishop: lead guitars
- Chris Simpson: rhythm guitar & vocals
- This is Britain’s highest military honour, awarded for extreme acts of bravery and gallantry in the face of the enemy. ↩︎
Band/Artist Links:
