Ohio is for bloggers.

As by now you're probably read, Hawthorne Heights and Victory Records have reconciled their differences and the band will be releasing their new album, Fragile Future, on August 5. Now I'm not going to analyze just what sort of legal mess this whole situation came out of or anything; frankly, I'm just happy to see these four guys still soldiering on. Not many bands can say they've seen both the mountaintops and seemingly bottomless pits that Hawthorne Heights have (and in such an incredibly quick timespan, too). All the bad stuff that's happened to them in the past year or so couldn't have happened to a more undeserving group of people, as anyone who has met the band will testify that they are truly some of the nicest, most personable guys in this scene.

I first met the band in January 2005; we had just gotten in the 100 Bands You Need To Know In 2005 covers, and they were headlining in Toledo that weekend. It seemed like a no-brainer for me to grab a box of them and head out to the show to surprise them (plus Spitalfield were opening, and man, do I love that band). The show was packed, and when I delivered the issues to the band, they were blown away and super-excited. Since that night, I've seen them a number of times, watching them go from the Take Action Tour (where they blew Sugarcult off the stage) to opening for Sum 41 (at which point, HH's The Silence In Black And White had already outsold Sum's new album, Chuck) to headlining Warped Tour and more. While I've never been a huge fan of the band's music, I've always respected them because they worked their tails off to get to where they are, and even though they had some big opportunities created for them by Victory, they never stopped working on their own. A good work ethic is something very, very had to find in today's scene, with so many young bands having a huge sense of entitlement towards everything; maybe it's because they're from the Midwest (which by default makes them earnest), but Hawthorne Heights have always appreciated everything that's come their way and never been greedy and asked for more.

Earlier today, Victory sent over to us an MP3 of "Rescue Me," the first single from Fragile Future. What I heard was a band revitalized and refocused, with a strong rock vibe and a good hook. Casey would've approved. When Jason listened to it, he said, "It's more closer to deftly arranged pop than generic screamo," and I have to agree. If their whole album is like this, I think the band can easily make a comeback--I, for one, hope they do. We need more nice guys making good music.