Broken Hope

Broken Hope is an American death metal band from Chicago, Illinois.

History

Broken Hope was founded in 1988. They were known as an accomplished mid-paced style death metal band with low-pitched growling vocals. As a band, they were active for roughly twelve years, recording five albums between 1991 and 1999.

The early lineup of Broken Hope was Joe Ptacek (vocals), Jeremy Wagner (rhythm guitar), Brian Griffin (lead guitar), and Ryan Stanek (drums). They scored a deal with the then-fledgling Grindcore/RedLight Label and recorded their debut album, ''Swamped in Gore''.
AllMusic reviewer John Book compared ''Swamped in Gore'' to Death's 1987 debut album ''Scream Bloody Gore''.

Following the release of ''Swamped in Gore'', Metal Blade Records signed the band, who released their second album, ''The Bowels of Repugnance'', in 1993. The band's third album, 1995's ''Repulsive Conception'', reached ''CMJ New Music Monthly'''s Metal Top 25 chart,
as did the follow-up, 1997's ''Loathing'',
an album which explored topics such as political domination, necrophilia, and safe sex.

The band moved to newly formed indie Martyr Records for their fifth album, ''Grotesque Blessings'', released in 1999. Rumors of the band's demise circulated at this time, this also marks the last album Joe Ptacek was on
and in April 2002, it was reported by Jeremy Wagner that after the state of Broken Hope had been limbo for about a year, they had disbanded.

In a 2007 interview, Wagner explained that several factors, including band dysfunction and a lack of support in Europe from Metal Blade, contributed to the split. Wagner added that the band members had met "face to face" for the first time in five years and discussed a possible reunion.

On January 20, 2010, vocalist Joe Ptacek committed suicide. He was 37 years old.

The band reunited in 2012 with returning members Shaun Glass and Jeremy Wagner, and new members Mike Miczek and Damian Leski, playing a North American tour with Obituary, Decrepit Birth, Jungle Rot, and Encrust.

''Omen of Disease'' was released September 27, 2013 via Century Media Records.

Former band drummer, Ryan Stanek, died in Wisconsin on March 1, 2015 from a heart attack. He was 42 years old.

Broken Hope's newest album titled ''Mutilated and Assimilated'' was released on June 23, 2017.

Band members

Current members

*Jeremy Wagner – rhythm guitar (1988–2001, 2012–present)
*Damian Leski – vocals (2012–present)
*Mike Miczek – drums (2012–present)
*Matt Szlachta – lead guitar (2014–present)
*Diego Soria – bass (2014–present)

Former members

*Joe Ptacek – vocals (1988–2001; died 2010)
*Ryan Stanek – drums (1988–1997; died 2015)
*Ed Hughes – bass (1988–1994)
*Dave Duff – lead guitar (1988–1990)
*Brian Griffin – lead guitar (1991–2001)
*Shaun Glass – bass (1995–1998, 2012–2014)
*Duane Timlin – drums (1997–1998)
*Brian Hobbie – bass (1999–2001)
*Sean Baxter – drums (1999–2001)
*Chuck Wepfer – lead guitar (2012–2014)

Session members

*Ryan Schimmenti – bass (1999)
*Mike Zwicke – bass (1999)
*Larry DeMumbrum – drums (1999)

Timeline

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DateFormat =mm/dd/yyyy
Period =from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/2023
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ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1988
TimeAxis =orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
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Colors=
id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_Vocals
id:lead value:teal legend:Lead_Guitar
id:rhythm value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_Guitar
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:studio value:black legend:Studio_Album

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at:11/20/1991 color:black layer:back
at:11/27/1993 color:black layer:back
at:04/17/1995 color:black layer:back
at:01/27/1997 color:black layer:back
at:10/05/1999 color:black layer:back
at:09/27/2013 color:black layer:back
at:06/23/2017 color:black layer:back

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bar:Joe text:"Joe Ptacek"
bar:Damian text:"Damian Leski"

bar:Dave text:"Dave Duff"
bar:Brian text:"Brian Griffin"
bar:Chuck text:"Chuck Wepfer"
bar:Matt text:"Matt Szlachta"

bar:Jeremy text:"Jeremy Wagner"

bar:Ed text:"Ed Hughes"
bar:Shaun text:"Shaun Glass"
bar:Brian2 text:"Brian Hobbie"
bar:Diego text:"Diego Soria"

bar:Ryan2 text:"Ryan Stanek"
bar:Duane text:"Duane Timlin"
bar:Sean text:"Sean Baxter"
bar:Mike2 text:"Mike Miczek"

PlotData =
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Joe from:start till:04/01/2001 color:vocals
bar:Damian from:04/01/2012 till:end color:vocals
bar:Dave from:start till:12/31/1990 color:lead
bar:Brian from:01/01/1991 till:04/01/2001 color:lead
bar:Chuck from:04/01/2012 till:04/01/2014 color:lead
bar:Matt from:04/01/2014 till:end color:lead
bar:Jeremy from:start till:04/01/2001 color:rhythm
bar:Jeremy from:04/01/2012 till:end color:rhythm
bar:Ed from:start till:08/01/1994 color:bass
bar:Shaun from:08/01/1994 till:12/31/1998 color:bass
bar:Shaun from:04/01/2012 till:04/01/2014 color:bass
bar:Brian2 from:01/01/1999 till:04/01/2001 color:bass
bar:Diego from:04/01/2014 till:end color:bass
bar:Ryan2 from:start till:05/01/1997 color:drums
bar:Duane from:05/01/1997 till:12/31/1998 color:drums
bar:Sean from:01/01/1999 till:04/01/2001 color:drums
bar:Mike2 from:04/01/2012 till:end color:drums

Discography

Albums

* ''Swamped in Gore'' (1991)
* ''The Bowels of Repugnance'' (1993)
* ''Repulsive Conception'' (1995)
* ''Loathing'' (1997)
* ''Grotesque Blessings'' (1999)
* ''Omen of Disease'' (2013)
* ''Mutilated and Assimilated'' (2017)

EPs

* ''Hobo Stew'' (1993)

Other releases

* ''Live Disease'' (2015)

Demos

* ''Broken Hope'' (1990)
* ''Demo 2'' (1990)
* ''Demo '93 (1993)

References

{{Authority control

American death metal musical groups
Heavy metal musical groups from Illinois
Musical groups from Chicago
Musical groups established in 1988
Musical groups disestablished in 2001
Musical quintets
Metal Blade Records artists