Surprises can be surprisingly good and surprisingly bad. I always prefer a “Surprise! You won!” versus a “Surprise! You’re fired!” The other day when I was looking through the list of promos to check out, I noticed a band named My Hollow, listing them as progressive groove metal. I have really been digging the new My Sleeping Karma record lately, so I thought “Cool! Maybe they sound kind of like that.” Not quite. Instead I got five pissed off Canadians ready to tear my head off! Formed in 2008 in Toronto, Ontario, My Hollow have been touring and playing with everyone from The Agonist to Warbringer. They have released a couple of EPs, “Live Off the Floor” in 2009, and “Cold Dark Days” in 2012. In early 2014, My Hollow entered the Wacken Metal Battle for a chance to perform at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany. The band made it past all preliminary rounds and made it to the finals at The Opera House in Toronto. They finished as one of the Top 5 metal bands in Canada. Now My Hollow is set to release their first full length album, “On Borrowed Time,” July 31, 2015.
As I mentioned earlier, my idea of what progressive groove metal sounds like was way off. Sounding more like old God Forbid or Chimaira, the opening title track blew the doors off of what I was expecting to hear. Graham Gaudreault’s voice shreds through the mix, instantly grabbing your attention. His vocals are one of the highlights of the album, and really set the tone for many of the tracks. The aggressive, mostly mid-tempo, songs are full of heavy riffs and crushing drums courtesy of Greg Gallagher (Lead/Rhythm Guitar), Sean De Faria (Bass), Lenny Chiasson (Lead/Rhythm Guitar), and Angelo Giammattolo (Drums). The dynamics and transitions throughout the album are wide and varied, without taking away from the enjoyment of getting into the music. For instance, the breakdown in ‘As Seams Seep Red’ is more reminiscent of Pantera than Parkway Drive. Speaking of the cowboys from hell, their influence combined with a large Lamb of God presence is littered about the album, but never duplicated. ‘History of Violence,’ ‘Kings With No Castles,’ and ‘Blood Seeds’ are great examples of this. They even throw in a little Machine Head on ‘Cold Dark Days,’ and ‘We Caught the Sun,’ and some Swedish melo-death for good measure ala In Mourning on ‘Wade Through the Thorns.’
Overall, “On Borrowed Time” leaves a very good first impression. It has just enough heaviness, melody, and variation to keep you from skipping around the tracks and just listen to the record. My Hollow has obviously put a lot of time and effort into these songs, and I think it has paid off. So for me, “On Borrowed Time” was definitely a welcome surprise.
Tracklist:
- On Borrowed Time
- As Seams Seep Red
- Cold Dark Days
- History of Violence
- Life in the Shadows (Interlude)
- King With No Castles
- Wade Through the Thorns
- We Cross the Sun
- Blood Seeds
Playing Time: 46:32
Release Date: July 31, 2015
Label: Self released
Website: myhollow.ca
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