Metal Mixology for August 13th: Exiled Hope

The latest edition of Metal Mixology comes from Exiled Hope!

Songs To Storm A Castle To with Exiled Hope

Exiled Hope is a conceptual symphonic metal project, inspired by works of literature such as George Orwell’s 1984 and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe, and real historical events. The storyline is often allegorical, and the bulk of it draws from the aftermath of the Russian Revolution and Eastern Europe’s subsequent descent into authoritarianism in the 20th century. The characters in the Exiled Hope universe frequently face moral quandaries involving the nature of power and freedom, while the worldbuilding integrates dystopian, gothic horror, and fantasy themes. It’s history… but with demons, sea monsters, witches, vampires, and portals to hell. 

While the story has an undercurrent of “totalitarianism is dangerous”, I try to convey that theme subtly; it’s always there if you’re interested in exploring it, but I don’t bash the listener over the head with it. Rather, the songs themselves often focus on the struggles of the individual characters and their relationships to each other within this system. Even in a city ruled by a cult that practices ritual human sacrifice, there are love stories, breakups, sunrises, acts of betrayal, and tales of heroism playing out every day. 

With all that said, you can probably imagine that castle-storming occurs frequently in the Exiled Hope universe. Come storm a castle with me while we listen to this playlist:

1. “Altar Of Moloch” - Exiled Hope

As mentioned above, the city that sets the stage for the Exiled Hope universe is ruled by a cult that periodically sacrifices chosen citizens, often children, in exchange for eternal life and otherworldly powers. I wrote this song as a “wake-up call” moment for the protagonist of my album Apocrypha, in which the protagonist finally realizes what really happens behind the walls of the castle in the center of the city. If there was ever a reason to storm a castle, it’s that.

2. “Dead World” - Hypocrisy

Peter Tägtgren is one of my biggest influences when it comes to harsh vocals. This song is appropriately intense and apocalyptic, and I listened to a lot of Hypocrisy when writing the heavier songs on my latest album. Perfect for cutting down some vampires and their demonic overlords.

3. “The Violation” - Fleshgod Apocalypse

I discovered Fleshgod Apocalypse early in college and haven’t looked back. I felt “seen” as an artist by their classy but vicious gothic horror aesthetic, and I love the blend of fury and elegance that they infuse into their music. Fleshgod Apocalypse had a massive influence on both the visual and musical aspects of my style. 

4. “Portrait Of A Headless Man” - Septicflesh

This song appears to deal with the regret that comes from participating in evil, which is also something that characters deal with in the Exiled Hope universe. This is one of those songs I wish I had written myself, because it fits the protagonist of my Apocrypha album so well.

5. “End Of All Hope” - Nightwish

This one is fairly self-explanatory; I’m a big Nightwish fan, and Exiled Hope probably would not exist without Nightwish. I had actually started Exiled Hope as a “Nightwish but it’s black metal”-style project, but I can’t stick to one subgenre, so here we are. 

6. “Rivers Between Us” - Draconian

This song might seem a little slow for a castle-storming adventure, but there’s always a calm before the storm, as well as the drama that incited the storm in the first place. I discovered Draconian around the same time that I wrote the very first Exiled Hope songs in 2019, and that was the point at which doom metal became an inseparable part of my style. 

7. “Dance Of Death” - Iron Maiden

I learned how to play guitar by playing Iron Maiden songs in high school, and it probably shows on most of the Exiled Hope guitar parts. I’ve always wanted to cover this song, and I might one day. It sets a perfectly eerie, ominous tone for a night of castle-storming, during which one might encounter any number of supernatural creatures. 

8. “Our Solemn Hour” - Within Temptation

I added this song to this playlist as a nod to the fact that the Exiled Hope story is inspired by much of the same time period that this song is. The Exiled Hope story, as an allegory, focuses heavily on events leading up to and immediately following World War II.

9. “Baba Yaga” - Slaughter To Prevail

I hesitated to include deathcore elements in my music until I heard Slaughter To Prevail. Deathcore seemed so different from my usual playing style that it could just work if I used it correctly, and so far, I’m liking the results of experimenting with it. It’s over for everyone when I learn to growl like Alex Terrible. I say this lovingly: he’s what I imagine the demons in the Exiled Hope universe to sound like.

10. “King” - Immortal Disfigurement

This one is just such a fun listen, between the orchestrations, huge variety of vocal styles, beautiful guitar solo, and catchy chorus. It perfectly captures the sense of pompous triumph that many of the Exiled Hope characters, both good and evil, carry with them. For some of them, it’s their downfall, and for others, it’s what they need to become better versions of themselves.

Check out the playlist right here!