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I usually like to start off
reviews by giving a short summary of the artist's history, especially if it
is a band that not that many people have heard of before. However, this is
always not that easy. Nowadays biographies are written to create a web of
mystery around the band instead of giving real, solid information which is
something that I am not that fond of. It gives me absolutely nothing. Sure, it
might be interesting sometimes but it is also annoying and unnecessary if that
is all there is. This is why I can't tell you much more about The Hollow than
that they are from Toronto, Canada, and have recently released this
self-financed debut album of their's. The band consists of three guys and one
female bass player and they seem to be very serious about what they do. They
have a professional website which looks really good but since I despise flash
I still don't like it that much. I am one of those guys who think that the
web is for information, not for art. If you want to have a flash site you
should also have an html based one as an alternative, especially to respect
those poor bastards out there who still sit with a phone modem. Anyway, enough
of my digressions and on to the music. Even though The Hollow make a point of
them disliking the modern commercial music this album has several radio
friendly tunes that speak against them. It is pretty much in the Tool vein but
more groovy and straightforward. The vocals come with a taste of old Seattle
grunge but with a rougher edge of hardcore flavour. The intro and few samples
used sound very industrial and more suited for Marilyn Manson than the kind of
modern heavy rock that The Hollow perform. The Hollow sound experimental at
times but all in all the music is rather conventional and it lacks a real
strong identity. The production is top-notch which is one more indication that
they want to go somewhere in the world with what they do. Some have apparently
labeled their music as gothic rock / metal but I would not go there myself.
Not bad but it lacks that little extra needed to take them one step further.
If you enjoy heavy rock you could at least check them out. Just visit their
mp3.com page and taste the music yourself. By the way, the band logo was done
by Paul Kuhr of November's Doom.
| Tracklist |
1. Ignorance 2. Carry On |
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3. Premonition 4. Mother Was A Man 5. So Glad We Met |
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6. The Ladder 7. Sanity 8. Sorrow 9. Digging |
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10. Faith' 11. Callow 12. Dissolve 13. Fall |
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14. E Of 3 15. Individuality 16. Snowflake 17. |
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Slaves |
: 68.02
| Buy other The Hollow albums |
