Joe Ptacek

Broken Hope is an American death metal band from Chicago, Illinois.

Broken Hope was founded in 1988. They were known as an accomplished mid-paced style death metal band with low-pitched growling vocals. As a band, they were active for roughly twelve years, recording five albums between 1991 and 1999.

The early lineup of Broken Hope was Joe Ptacek (vocals), Jeremy Wagner (rhythm guitar), Brian Griffin (lead guitar), and Ryan Stanek (drums). They scored a deal with the then-fledgling Grindcore/RedLight Label and recorded their debut album, Swamped in Gore. AllMusic reviewer John Book compared Swamped in Gore to Death's 1987 debut album Scream Bloody Gore.

Following the release of Swamped in Gore, Metal Blade Records signed the band, who released their second album, The Bowels of Repugnance, in 1993. The band's third album, 1995's Repulsive Conception, reached CMJ New Music Monthly's Metal Top 25 chart, as did the follow-up, 1997's Loathing, an album which explored topics such as political domination, necrophilia, and safe sex.

The band moved to newly formed indie Martyr Records for their fifth album, Grotesque Blessings, released in 1999. Rumors of the band's demise circulated at this time, this also marks the last album Joe Ptacek was on and by April 2002, Broken Hope disbanded.

In a 2007 interview, Wagner explained that several factors, including band dysfunction and a lack of support in Europe from Metal Blade, contributed to the split. Wagner added that the band members had met "face to face" for the first time in five years and discussed a possible reunion.

On January 20, 2010, vocalist Joe Ptacek committed suicide. He was 37 years old.

The band reunited in 2012 with returning members Shaun Glass and Jeremy Wagner, and new members Mike Miczek and Damian Leski, playing a North American tour with Obituary, Decrepit Birth, Jungle Rot, and Encrust.

Omen of Disease was released September 27, 2013 via Century Media Records.

Former band drummer, Ryan Stanek, died in Wisconsin on March 1, 2015, aged 42.

Broken Hope's newest album titled "Mutilated and Assimilated" was released on June 23, 2017.

Current members

• Jeremy Wagner – rhythm guitar (1991–2002, 2012–present), lead guitar (1988–1990)
• Damian Leski – vocals (2012–present)
• Mike Miczek – drums (2012–present)
• Matt Szlachta – lead guitar (2014–present)
• Diego Soria – bass (2014–present)

Former members

• Joe Ptacek – vocals (1988–2002; died 2010)
• Ryan Stanek – drums (1988–1997; died 2015)
• Ed Hughes – bass (1988–1994)
• Dave Duff – rhythm guitar (1988–1990)
• Brian Griffin – lead guitar (1991–2002)
• Shaun Glass – bass (1995–1998, 2012–2014)
• Duane Timlin – drums (1997–1999)
• Brian Hobbie – bass (1999–2002)
• Sean Baxter – drums (1999–2002)
• Ryan Schimmenti – bass (1999)
• Mike Zwicke – bass (1999)
• Larry DeMumbrum – drums (1999)
• Chuck Wepfer – lead guitar (2012–2014)

Albums

• Swamped in Gore (1991)
• The Bowels of Repugnance (1993)
• Repulsive Conception (1995)
• Loathing (1997)
• Grotesque Blessings (1999)
• Omen of Disease (2013)
• Mutilated and Assimilated (2017)

EPs

• Hobo Stew (1993)

Other releases

• Live Disease (2015)

Demos

• Broken Hope (1990)
• Demo 2 (1990)
• Demo '93 (1993)