Off the heels of My Devil in Your Eyes, The Color Morale had established that they were one of the premier midwest post-hardcore bands in the scene. Drawing inspiration from early metalcore giants like Misery Signals and Poison the Well, the band found its sound, deviating from the auto-tune and heavy synth the genre was flooded with at the time. When one put on a Color Morale song, they were in for crushing riffs and dire vocals.

When 2013 rolled around, Morale’s third album, Know Hope, released in March. I was so devoted to the band at the time that I went to the album release show at Reggie’s in Chicago. I had just broken up with my girlfriend that day, so this was perfect timing to let loose. The vocalist, Garret Rapp, stood at his merch table like he always did, and I bonded with him during the height of my angst.

When the band went on, I was as close to the front as possible, screaming back the lyrics (from the previous album) to Garret. There’s something about being in close proximity with a vocalist, making eye contact and seeing how happy they are to be there. After the show, Garret sang some acoustic songs, and my phone died. Then guitarist Devin King let me use his phone to get an idea of how to get home, and I eventually made my way back.

Obviously, I would go on to binge Know Hope after this heartfelt night. I will admit, I was not immediately in love with the album. Garret changed his vocal style to more of a yell than a growl, which initially shocked me, but I came to be endeared with this style of vocal delivery. The varying pitch in his yells provided more emotional impact than the screams and growls I was accustomed to. The record was not devoid of those growls either, bassist Justin Heiser would provide powerful, deep growls throughout the album in heavier sections.

This is one of two Color Morale records that does not feature a guest vocalist on it, truly giving Garret a place to shine. Instilling upon the listener a sense of steadfastness and will, the message of the lyrics is to persist and have hope no matter the adversity ahead. Even at one’s lowest point, “there is still hope”, as Garret sings in “Burn Victims”. Garret’s thematic lyrics are terrific like, “Some days you’re the pigeon, some days you are the statue” in “Silver Lining”, and “I only have myself to blame for losing control. I’ve always needed something, maybe I needed to be alone” in “Saviorself”.

While I see Know Hope as The Color Morale’s standout work, their entire discography is worthy of a listen. From 2009’s We All Have Demons to 2016’s Desolate Divine, there isn’t a filler song in the band’s catalog. The band has been radio silent since 2017, but Garret recently posted a teaser of his recorded vocals for a feature and has teased recording more in the future. I would be thrilled with more Color Morale, but I am more than content to spin Know Hope and recall the most formative time of my life, resonating with meaningful lyrics and throwing down to some of the best post-hardcore instrumentals I’ve ever heard.

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