Biography
In the opening months of 2002 the punk rock trio Ryan's Hope formed in Joliet, Illinois, on the outskirts of Chicago. Singer and guitarist Terry Morrow, bassist Nick McLenighan, and drummer Greg Alltop had previously shared stages in the five-piece hardcore act Bound, yet they now sought a leaner lineup and a melodic approach shaped by Snapcase, Metallica, the Living End, the Smoking Popes, the Misfits, and the Smiths. The outcome was an energetic blend of melodic punk edged with metal and propelled by hardcore drive. That spring the group lost an early supporter and close friend, Ryan McCarroll, in a fatal car accident; they processed their grief through music and chose the band name in his memory. After issuing the self-released EPs Weighing What Matters in 2002 and Each Place I Hide in 2003, the trio joined the 2003 Warped Tour. In early 2004 they aligned with Double Zero Records—founded by Smoking Popes member Mike Felumlee—and delivered their first full-length, The Trials of Recession. Online and print outlets, most prominently Punknews.org, praised the album, leading to Ryan's Hope becoming one of the first signings to the site's new Punknews Records in October 2005. Distributed by Epitaph, the label debut Apocalypse in Increments arrived the following April and earned further positive notices. Produced by Dan Precision of 88 Fingers Louie and Rise Against, the record revealed a tighter focus that incorporated elements of Bad Religion and Thrice.
Albums
