Here’s fine slab of progressive metal from Swedish band Hollow. Hadn’t come across them before hearing a track off the album and immediately liked it enough to order a copy of the album.
With lots of chugging, slightly fuzzy/distorted guitars it has a nice feel to it with a style somewhat reminiscent of early Queensryche on say The Warning or Rage for Order.
Some chunky bass lines going on and a solid pumping drum performance gives quite a lot of substance to proceedings.
And with ten songs over thirty-five minutes or so it doesn’t over stay its welcome instead being about the right length for a solid listen holding the attention.
Birth is a generally acoustically based opener though does get heavier. Quite a nicely paced introduction to what’s to follow and the album breaks out somewhat from here.
Title track The Tower is a nice progressive rocker which is delivered well in a sort of understated way. Have a listen to it:
Guardian and Destroyer of Worlds heavy things up further and are that bit faster paced with cutting riffs and some nice hooks.
Every Drop of My Blood and Sunrise mix in more of the powerful stuff and the mellow stuff in good proportion without losing any of the impact.
Indeed – the whole album is so well paced and put together with the closer of Wander On a really excellent way to bring the album to a close in a succinct classic rock/progressive metal style.
I have to admit after the first couple of spins it all sounded a bit “samey” with the impression of my ears that there was no variety or change of pace.
However after a couple of more listens it grew on me considerably as the album’s hidden depths and nuances became clearer. Tower is the sort of album which is deceptively complex and begins to reveal itself the first few listens. A very much more than worth effort.
Check it out for yourself. Usual formats available.
>> TOWER BY HOLLOW ON AMAZON HERE <<