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<\/a><\/p>\nSurprises can be surprisingly good and surprisingly bad. I always prefer a \u201cSurprise! You won!\u201d versus a \u201cSurprise! You\u2019re fired!\u201d The other day when I was looking through the list of promos to check out, I noticed\u00a0a 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 \u201cCool! Maybe they sound kind of like that.\u201d 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, \u201cLive Off the Floor\u201d in 2009, and \u201cCold Dark Days\u201d 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, \u201cOn Borrowed Time,\u201d July 31, 2015.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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 \u2018As Seams Seep Red\u2019 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. \u2018History of Violence,\u2019 \u2018Kings With No Castles,\u2019 and \u2018Blood Seeds\u2019 are great examples of this. They even throw in a little Machine Head on \u2018Cold Dark Days,\u2019 and \u2018We Caught the Sun,\u2019 and some Swedish melo-death for good measure ala In Mourning on \u2018Wade Through the Thorns.\u2019<\/p>\n
Overall, \u201cOn Borrowed Time\u201d 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, \u201cOn Borrowed Time\u201d was definitely a welcome surprise.<\/p>\n
Tracklist:<\/strong><\/p>\n Playing Time:<\/strong> 46:32<\/p>\n Release Date:<\/strong> July 31, 2015<\/p>\n Label:<\/strong> Self released<\/p>\n Website:<\/strong>\u00a0myhollow.ca<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n