“I can’t find my way back to the person I used to be.”
Bristol’s Downpour are one of the newest bands to hit the melodic hardcore scene. Releasing their debut EP, Hope, in May 2024, they have wasted no time in working on a follow-up release. Completing the EP with eight new songs, the band present their debut full-length, Where There Is Life, There Is Hope.
With the four songs (and one interlude) on Hope, the band already showed much promise. Not one to be lost to the sea of bands occupying the space, Downpour make an effort to distinguish themselves with their punchy guitar work. “Losing Group” carries the signature, ambience-driven style of modern melodic hardcore effectively, enveloped by reverb-heavy tremolo leads. The track’s climatic breakdown is a showstopper, landing with cathartic impact and bringing a nice contrast to the track’s overall melodic sound. “Validation” is a personal favourite from the EP, loaded with Counterparts-esque leads ensuring that this became an instant hit with me. Its subtler details, such as the rhythmic change during the bridge, keep the track interesting and varied.
With an already strong offering from the EP, the main curiosity is how much the rest contributes to a full album experience. Opener “Half Empty” wastes no time in ushering in a myriad of classic sounding melodic hardcore. From the punk drum rhythms to the gang vocals chorus, their approach is heavily reminiscent of The Ghost Inside’s earlier work. With its emotional, existential lyrics (“this world takes what it wants. I wish it had taken me as well.”) and spoken word bridge, it is old school melodic hardcore worship through and through, and it is executed well.
Newer cut “The Weight” follows in the footsteps of “Losing Group”, with its all-encompassing ambience complimenting the abundance of melodic leads to push the emotion of the track, courtesy of guitarist Jesse Brock. Vocalist Richard Lardner’s performance is impassioned and carries the energy of each track satisfyingly. The track charges forward with an infectious momentum, bringing together many of the band’s influences and making it their own.
Mid-album cut “421” takes a heavier, angstier turn, switching up the album’s rhythm at an opportune time. Pummelling riffs punctuated with harmonic chugs give the track a more aggressive edge as Lardner laments the breakdown of a relationship. Bassist Mitch Young gets a moment in the spotlight in the track’s adrenaline-charged breakdown, coming to the forefront briefly as the guitar gets stripped away. The track’s heavier approach provides a nice balance with the melodically-focused first half of the album.
Spoken word interlude “Dissonant” leads into “Footsteps”, starting with a gradual buildup with a flurry of kicks from drummer Isaac Barton. Leading into an ambience-heavy chorus, the subtle piano keys introduced are a nice detail that add to the track’s emotion. There is a precarious balance of the heavier moments of the track with its gentler elements, creating for a beautifully melancholic experience.
Album closer “Miles Apart” sends the album off on its most melancholic note, with wistful leads layered over dissonant chugs ushering in the track. Taking a twist in the chorus, the swaying rhythm team up with its pronounced guitar ambience to create an atmosphere of hiraeth. In classic melodic hardcore fashion, themes of existentialism make up the lyrical content of the track. The track’s elements are cohesive and aid each other in creating a cinematic finish to the album.
In its entirety, Where There Is Life, There Is Hope is a satisfying experience. The previous EP’s songs are reshuffled in the tracklist, appropriately placed amongst the newer additions to create for a balanced experience. Something noteworthy too; there’s hardly any listening fatigue despite it being a longer album than what is usually offered by their contemporaries. Although it doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the melodic hardcore genre, Downpour’s heartfelt approach leaves little else to be desired, and is sure to resonate with fans of the bigger names of the genre. There is a lot of promise with the Bristol unit, and there will always be a place for such wholehearted sincerity in this style of heavy music.
8/10
Where There Is Life, There Is Hope releases on the 14th of March via self-release. Pre-orders and merch for the album can be found here.