Life challenges us. It’s not just about anger, sorrow, or joy. We feel rage and sometimes bitterness over what has happened to us. We think we can already taste the gentle flavour of peace, yet in reality, we’re still licking our wounds. At times, we mourn what we’ve lost or what we couldn’t achieve as we had dreamed. Then there are moments when we are fully present - completely focused, in the flow, immersed in the pure joy of doing what we love and do best.The second album by Vienna-based HOPE TILL DECEMBER encapsulates all these emotions. One moment, you feel the cathartic urge to lash out to the breakdowns of Gasoline or Coffin Shaped Lungs, hoping that in the mosh pit, others will embrace a few drops of blood among friends rather than just holding up their phones to record. The next, you throw yourself into the arms of a stranger and scream along to the hook lines of raw yet anthemic mid-tempo bangers like ‘Pray For Me’ or ‘Clear Eyes And Open Hearts’. And in another, just as ‘Dissonant Smile’ surges forward again after a brutal mosh part, you want to jump onto the stage, only to dive back into the crowd as the melody erupts - a melody that, born from pain, defiantly embraces life.
Driven by the interplay of dissonance and harmony, the quartet searches for inner peace in every beat - a peace that, much to the grim delight of their audience, proves elusive. The guitars push this struggle forward, while at the same time stacking stone upon stone to build a towering wall of sound. The contrasting vocal tones of frontman Michael Krüger and bassist Patrick “Herzal” Schmid clash against each other, mirroring the passionate struggle between pain and joy. While genre labels like Metalcore and Post-Hardcore lay the foundation of their sound, they barely scratch the surface. The band’s uncompromising intensity edges into Noiserock territory, while their raw emotional energy recalls bands like HOT WATER MUSIC, THE DRAFT, or BOKASSA - a sweat-and-tears-fuelled style that might best be described as “Heartcore”.
Life can end in an instant. The cover of ‘Hell Is Home, Home Is Good’ shows a house engulfed in flames. Everything is burning, and there seems to be no way out. But as you listen to the music behind this dramatic and seemingly hopeless image, you see its residents fleeing across the nearby fields. They made it out - just barely. They scream as they watch their home burn, yet they already sense that a new dawn will come. They have survived it all - the pain, the failures, the darkest depths. And we go through these emotions with them, exposing ourselves to them again and again, because there’s so much to sink our teeth into on this record. As soon as the final note fades, we start it over from the beginning. Because we, too, are angry, afraid, and sad - yet at the same time, full of joy and hope. And it feels damn good to know that in HOPE TILL DECEMBER, we have kindred spirits who live and breathe it all alongside us.
The album ‘Hell Is Home, Home Is Good’ will be released on April 4, 2025, via FFS Labelservice and will be available digitally on all streaming platforms.
Watch the video for ‘Pray for Me’ here:
Line-up
Michael Krüger / Vocals
Patrick “Herzal” Schmid / Bass, Backing Vocals
Johannes Schelakovsky / Guitar
Manuel “Mandl” Kaufmann / Drums
Hope Till December Live
11.04.2025 | A-Vienna // Szene - Release Show “Vienna Core Fest”
20.06.2025 | A-Leoben // Iron Road for Children
Discography
Hell Is Home, Home Is Good (2025)
Awake The Unknown (2022)
More info: https://linktr.ee/hopetilldecember
Source Press Release
