New York has long been a magnet for the heavier styles of music, and has become a breeding ground for many of today's most prominent hardcore and metal ensembles. Auburn's very own If Hope Dies have flourished in the local scene, capturing thousands in their metalcore net over the course of the past five years. Though they have built their foundation through a handful of self-made releases, the band began making serious waves in the metal community with their Diehard Records debut, "Siege Equipment For Spiritual Decline" in 2002. This led to a contract with Ironclad Recordings, a label helmed by Unearth frontman Trevor Phipps. With this If Hope Dies have taken the next step in their continuous evolution as "The Ground Is Rushing Up To Meet Us" is an album that encapsulates all that this group have undergone with pure metal fury.

This is an album steeped in heavy metal tradition, partnering the intense thrust of American thrash with the more guitar-driven dynamics of the Gothenburg scene. If Hope Dies thrive on this unquenchable thirst for all that is heavy, lacing their amalgamation of metallic delights with a sense of brutality derived from the hardcore scene, resulting in an all-out attack on the independent metal arena. There are noticeable similarities that run the gamut of the heavy music infrastructure present here, with the most prominent coming in the form of Auburn thrash brethren Manowar, rising stars Darkest Hour and early Shadows Fall; yet If Hope Dies do their best to inject their own stylistic enhancements to the familiar genre and achieve moderate success. The inclusion of massive breakdowns in an otherwise metal design pays off surprisingly well, ushering in an additional source of lethargic intensity without buckling under the confines most standard metalcore is subject to. Unearth's Trevor Phipps offers additional vocal menace to "Cursus Honororum", setting up a successful contrast to Alan's guttural rasps. While the songs offered forth deliver the expected metal blast, the band's greatest impression is perhaps left in the final seconds of "Who Died And Made Us Kings?". The intensity found here has risen to a fever pitch, and the band exude a vicious glee at the carnage that has ensued, culminating in an aural armageddon of group chanting and Gary's oppressive bass chugs. In these closing moments the group unveil the true metal power that they have previously restrained, and this makes for an unforgettable conclusion. It also provides a lingering hint at what's to come, and while this is an impressive record, one is left with anticipation for just what is in store for these metal mavens.

There are an assortment of like-minded groups sharing the spot If Hope Dies covet as their own, but these five men do succeed in making a strong claim at reigning supreme. Their brand of hardcore-tinged metal is thoroughly devastating in design, and the energy instilled within the songs found here is enticing in its sheer destructive power. The group have come a long way from their shaky beginnings in the Syracuse area, and the time spent perfecting their craft is apparent. These songs are built with an innate confidence that each guitar riff, each bass blast and each specific growl enables the band to create a more memorable metal offering. By emphasizing their thrash roots, If Hope Dies have provided a sense of uncontrollable madness, and this driving force gives "The Ground Is Rushing Up To Meet Us" the urgency necessary to live up to its very title. Though the band have since replaced their lead guitarist, it is clear that they have patterned a career that is just now picking up speed, and one can hope that this inconvenience only propels them to loftier heights on future efforts. As it stands, this is an inspiring album to rise from the underground, and a chunky metal opus of this sort should add the firepower necessary to catapult If Hope Dies into the upper class of modern heavy metal.