Love Hope And Fear Fate’s Frowned On Us (Color) vinyl collects four tracks of fast, direct hardcore from a Bay Area outfit that operated briefly but left a 7-inch worth tracking down. Released on Escapist on colored vinyl, this pressing packs everything Love Hope And Fear had into a tight, punishing running time that does not waste a second of its format.
Love Hope And Fear Fate’s Frowned On Us (Color) vinyl
Love Hope And Fear pulled from the same thread that ran through American Nightmare and The Suicide File: hardcore that did not abandon melodic instinct, bands that understood tension and release and used both deliberately. The Bay Area produced a specific strain of that sound in the early 2000s, harder and more confrontational than the pop-punk surrounding it but unwilling to completely shed hooks. Love Hope And Fear fit cleanly into that lineage. Short-lived bands in this corner of hardcore often leave behind only a 7-inch or two, and this one is worth more attention than it received at the time of its original release.
Four Tracks, Nothing Wasted
The 7-inch format suits this material perfectly. Four tracks of fast-paced hardcore with a rock-and-roll backbone is exactly what Fate’s Frowned On Us delivers, and there is no padding anywhere in the running time. Each song hits and exits cleanly, which is a skill in itself. The production captures the energy without over-polishing what should sound raw. Escapist has consistently backed quality underground hardcore with releases that treat the format seriously, and this colored pressing fits that approach.
For the Hardcore Collector
Colored vinyl 7-inches from short-lived Bay Area hardcore acts are exactly the kind of release that serious collectors pursue with patience and appreciation. Love Hope And Fear is a name that comes up in the right circles when people discuss this specific moment in American hardcore. Fate’s Frowned On Us on colored vinyl is a piece of that history in a format built for it.
Bay Area hardcore from this period is increasingly documented and collected with care, and Fate’s Frowned On Us sits in good company alongside the other 7-inches that defined this specific moment in the scene. Escapist Records gave this the physical treatment it deserved, and the colored vinyl pressing is the correct version to own if this corner of American hardcore is part of what you build your collection around.
More Alternative vinyl:
