It’s been 12 years since we last heard from death metallers Broken Hope. After releasing five albums, lineup changes and record-label issues led to their disbandment after 1999′s Grotesque Blessings. In 2010, more tragedy hit the band when original vocalist Joe Ptacek committed suicide. However, before his death, band members Jeremy Wagner and Shaun Glass spoke about resurrecting the band. Now they are moving forward and returning to the stage this fall on the Carnival of Death Tour featuring Obituary, Decrepit Birth, and Encrust. Due to Broken Hope’s comeback, we asked guitarist and lyricist Jeremy Wagner (pictured left) to select his picks for the Greatest Metal Comebacks for Revolver.
1. ACCEPT “Because after going on a super-long hiatus, Accept came back with two new, solid, albums back-to-back and have managed to reclaim their former glory not seen for decades.”
2. AT THE GATES “At the Gates disappeared fast after releasing their landmark, Slaughter of the Soul. They influenced legions of bands–especially in metalcore–and should’ve stayed the course. That said, thousands of metal fans awaited their return and got their wish when At the Gates came back stronger than ever and toured extensively to make up for lost time.”
3. LAMB of GOD “OK, LOG didn’t go away at all, but when Randy Blythe was held in a Czech prison recently, their future was put on hold–thankfully, short-lived. Randy’s mighty return to the stage with Lamb of God at the first annual Knotfest was an epic comeback under the circumstances. I was there to see it, and it did my heart good to see Randy back with Lamb of God and in the US.”
4. VOIVOD “After losing their founding member–the great guitarist, Piggy–the band regrouped and were very fortunate to find fellow Canuck, Dan Mongrain, to fill the void that Piggy left behind. Constant touring and a new album on the horizon prove that the ‘warriors of ice’ are back and built to last.”
5. BROKEN HOPE “As the founding member/chief riffer/lyricist for Broken Hope, I can testify that I never knew if we’d come back to spread our brand of relentless death metal again. After a decade of stasis and the death of our original vocalist–Joe Ptacek–the prospect of Broken Hope’s return seemed bleak. Thanks to constant support from die-hard fans, our managers, and our determination to reactivate the band, Broken Hope is a bonafide killing machine again–on tour and with new songs being written for a 2013 album. With this particular and personal comeback, I’m the happiest dude in metal right now.”
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