High Roller Records have reissued the Hollow Ground anthology – Warlord – in a nice slipcase with a mini-poster of the cover artwork.
Hollow Ground of course being right there in the early New Wave of British Heavy Metal days releasing the much sought after Warlord EP.
Whilst Hollow Ground didn’t go on after the EP, the four tracks on it it remains something of a NWOBHM classic. Other than the EP, the band had a couple of tracks on a compilation album back then and that was it.
Here on this anthology we have the four tracks from the EP, those from the compilation and one or two others they’d recorded. Also eleven songs which the band recorded at a rehearsal session in the late 1970s.
The rehearsal being recorded on a good old fashioned cassette recorder (who remembers that ancient technology with no particular fondness? Possibly the worst format ever invented) so the songs are as they were recorded around half a century ago.
Musically Hollow Ground played what may be deemed as “classic” NWOBHM. All the various elements are here. Thumpingly heavy riffage, flying solos and thunderous drums and bass with vocals to match.
No messing about anywhere all delivered in a punchy style with speed and power. Much promise shown though without landing a recording deal, Hollow Ground’s time was limited.
From the EP, Flying High, Warlord, Rock on and Don’t Chase the Dragon each takes no prisoners. Particularly Warlord which blasts away at the eardrums packing a big punch.
Have a listen to Flying High:
The cassette recorded rehearsal session is a fascinating listen. Of course it’s rough and ready with it being recorded “as is” some fifty years ago, though for me it adds to the authenticity showing a band working hard on songs chasing the dream of success. Nothing wrong with that.
High Roller Records so a fine job with stuff like this from back in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal days – for example this year Jaguar, Omega, Persian Risk and Mythra.
And now Hollow Ground. For old folk like myself who remember the old days with plenty of nostalgia or for anyone who enjoys their music fast and loud.
>> HOLLOW GROUND WARLORD ON AMAZON <<
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