''No Wings to Speak Of'' is an EP by

melodic hardcore Melodic hardcore is a broadly defined subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on melody in its guitar work. It generally incorporates fast rhythms, melodic and often distorted guitar riffs, and vocal styles tending towards shouting and ...

band

Hopesfall Hopesfall is an American post-hardcore band from Charlotte, North Carolina, formed in 1998. They are currently signed to Equal Vision Records. The band dissolved in 2008 after all members, with the exception of singer Jay Forrest, left the band ...

. The EP was first released on Takehold Records in 2001, and was re-released in 2002 by

Trustkill Records Trustkill Records was an American independent record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994. In 2010, the president of Trustkill, Josh Grabelle ...

and on vinyl in 2008 by

One Day Savior Recordings One Day Savior Recordings was an American independent record label founded in 1997 by Christopher Tzompanakis. The record label was most prominent in the hardcore and indie rock communities, releasing metalcore, post-hardcore and emo by such ...

Track listing

Personnel

;Hopesfall * Doug Venable -

Vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

* Joshua Brigham -

Guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

* Ryan Parrish -

, backing vocals * Pat Aldrich - Bass * Adam Morgan - Drums ;Production * Mark Miley - Producer * Chandler Owen - Artwork

Reception

''No Wings to Speak Of'' has received critical acclaim from reviewers since its release. Lambgoat reviewer Mustapha Mond said the album is at its strongest "with passages of thick, emotional chord progression; bright, piercing, beautiful riffing done in repeated patterns; and two vocals overlapping each other, each harsh and crisp, with a sort of spiritual purity to them." Mond said that opener "Open Hands to the Wind" is not a bad song, but is the weakest on the album. Mond said the only flaw of the album was "this is not an album that immediately lends itself to a live show; rather, it seems more suited to be played alone, or with friends, driving in the moonlight." The Sputnikmusic review called the album "the defining work of the

melodic metalcore Melodic metalcore is a fusion genre, incorporating elements of melodic death metal and metalcore; it has a heavy emphasis on melodic instrumentation, distorted guitar tones, palm muting, double bass drumming, blast beats, metalcore-stylized br ...

scene." The review praised the emotional lyrics and atmospheric sound as well as Doug Venable's performance for not being too complex or over the top and highlighted "The End of an Era" as the album's best track. The review concluded by saying the album "is a recording that defines a genre." Punknews reviewer Matt also praised the album, calling the tracks "April Left with Silence" and "The End of an Era" as landmarks in the

genre.

References

{{Authority control Hopesfall albums 2001 EPs Trustkill Records EPs