History & Biography Scene Veterans Broken Hope finally got the chance to record an album following the success of their 1990 demo. Releasing their album debut on Grindcore International (presumably referring to the label owner occasionally eating Italian??), the Chicago band toured in the USA and Canada and staked its territory as gore metallers with similarities to Cannibal Corpse. Much to the surprise of the latter, the band was snatched by Metal Blade following a show at the Milwaukee Metal Festival and went on to release several very heavy albums for which the band supported the likes of Unleashed and Deicide. The band finally got the chance to tour Europe following album number five by playing with Macabre. A European tour had earlier been resisted by Metal Blade Europe. Glass had joined the band after Sindrome's band leader had refused an offer by Roadrunner Records to sign the band as financially inadequate. Griffin established himself as a producer and Wagner displayed a propensity for industry schmoozing and establishing connections with magazine editors/writers and management.
Soon the band was let go by Metal Blade and the band began flirting with Martyr Music Group’s Maria Abril (as a manager/label and girlfriend - similar to the band’s relationship with Metal Blade with a member dating a label manager) which was also the home of the much more melodic EmSinfonia. Glass bolted to the commercial Soil where he united with several former Oppressor musicians. At this point, DeMumbrum recorded the album; BH's new members were Sean Baxter on bass and Jeff Bumgardner on Drums. Ptacek's replacement was Scott Creekmore. In a surprise move, Ptacek and Wagner announced they have recruited Fleshgrind guitarist Steve Murray and formed a new band called Earthburner after the band's departure from Martyr Music and during the subsequent recording of a new album announced as Flesh Mechanic. Brian Griffin and Sean Baxter form Incivism as according to Griffin, "Sean and I decided we wanted to speed things up but still have some quality guitar riffing in the music so things kind of fell apart during the recording of the album." Griffin would become a road manager for, among others, Lamb Of God. Incivism had ten songs ready for immediate recording in 2002. Not to be outdone Earthburner also readied a promo-CD for the summer of 2002.
The band discussed reforming in 2007 and conducted conversations with Candlelight Records America. Joe Ptacek, one-time singer for the band, committed suicide on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 from a gunshot wound to the head. He was 37 years old. He was in the midst of reforming Broken Hope.
Jeremy Wagner signed a book deal for his work of fiction, The Armageddon Chord, in late 2010. The book was due for release in August of 2011. The book was about a song, which could unleash evil upon mankind. The band was touring and opening for Obituary’s Carnival Of Death 2012 tour alongside Encrust, Jungle Rot and more. Gorgasm’s Damian Tom Leski was singing.
Broken Hope signed with Century Media in late 2012. Broken Hope’s Omen Of Disease would be released on October 1st, 2013 through Century Media Records. Necronomicon, Disgorge and Broken Hope would support Deicide on the No Salvation Tour 2013 in October. A 30-year-old man named Jesus Ortega was arrested for allegedly attacking three people during Broken Hope's set opening for Deicide at the Tricky Falls club in El Paso, Texas on October 22nd. Deicide and Broken Hope had a falling out until the band’s reconciled, to keep the tour intact, after arguing publicly over a shared bass rig. Broken Hope’s Jeremy Wagner had claimed Deicide’s Benton had lost the former band’s bass rig cables and Benton countered that Broken Hope wouldn’t allow him to use the rig anymore. Wagner called Benton “unprofessional” and “egomaniacal” among other things, while Benton claimed the opening band didn’t understand the protocols of being an opening band. Singer Chuck Labossiere of Psychotic Gardening was filling in with Broken Hope for tour dates in Europe and Canada in 2012 and 2013 as Damian Leski (also of Gorgasm) could not leave the United States. In late 2014, Guitarist Chuck Wepfer and bassist Shaun Glass left Broken Hope to concentrate on their new band, The Bloodline. Broken Hope brought in Matt Szlachta (Dirge Within and Chimaira) and Diego Soria (Disgorge). Broken Hope released a DVD called Live Disease At Brutal Assault on September 18th, 2015 through Century Media. It was filmed and recorded at the 19th annual Brutal Assault festival in Josefov, Czech Republic on August 8th, 2014. Broken Hope would issue an album called Mutilated & Assimilated in June of 2017 after initially announcing it for December of 2016.
Reviews BROKEN HOPE - LOATHING - METAL BLADE
This line from the track Skin Is In is hilarious: "Ashes to ashes, genitals to jelly". And Broken Hope is back. I say that gladly because after having chatted with guitarist Wagner and bassist Glass over a year ago when the band were beginning to write for this album, the band's introduction of the word 'groove' into the conversation had me all but worried. All fear was futile. Illinois' cherished death bashers are in good shape. Spitting tunes like The Cloning (perhaps the best track on this), He Was Raped and Auction of the Dead. The band mixes its mid-paced brutality with speedy grind parts while the vocals are as low as any death metaller can hope for. With a successful production and a guest appearance by one of my fave growlers Rich Lipscomb of Fleshgrind there is little left for me to say but Broken Hope is back and still loathing. - Ali "The Metallian"
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