The metal gods are laughing. We don’t like ‘core over here very much, true. But unfathomable forces governing the smellier nether regions of our review pipe like to throw a wrench into the well-oiled review selection machine from time to time. And they do that with some ‘core wackos that continue to populate the metal multiverse somehow. Even if evil forces out there continue to tell us that they’re in no way near metal. And don’t even dare calling it that, thank you very much.
So, low and behold, Lower Hollow usurped our attention earlier with their new short blurb Bloom & Expire. ‘Tis a band that likes to call a 28-minute shorty a full-length when theirs isn’t even a full-blown punk piece that would warrant that. Probably some wiseguy geek once told them that this is an MLP1 and not an EP2 because “…there are too many tracks on it, and the extra length is just a boooonus…”, but I digress.3
Yet, it’s the undeniable power of their offering that made us stop and backpedal for a closer look. Bloom & Expire is many things at once. First, and to take some of the heat off their backs, the whole album sports a definite punky flavor. And it ain’t only Hardcore in there, you’ll also find Deathcore and some whiffs of the cheekier parts of Nu Metal raise their ugly heads as well. In a way, the whole chebang often reminded me of Aeons latest offering, minus the prog parts.
And the band won’t only indulge in an unhinged fury fest, even if there’s lots of that, too. You’ll also find delicate parts as well. Such as the doomy Desolate that suddenly disintegrates into Vacant Hell. And in all those angered screams, pretty delicate riffs, licks, and a ton of hooks make their appearance. Ambient passages suddenly materialize out of nowhere until the Sledgehammer ov Raw Rage strikes again with a vengeance.
But the undeniable emotion together with a certain gloomy undertone really sold us. And with that, the overarching aggression on Bloom & Expire started to talk to us. All of that roars in on a pretty pristine production that – to our surprise – managed to avoid losing crucial elements. Boy, you even get pvre bass bliss at certain sharp corners of the record.
The highlights? Well, try the aforementioned Vacant Hell for starters. Then turn to the raw power of Eyes Wide Shut, complete with some monologue. And don’t forget to take the title track Bloom & Expire in for good measure, too. But in short, you won’t find bad material on this record. No fillers, no endless meandering, none of that. Instead, you’ll face jet fuel-grade high-octane intensity that Lower Hollow are mercilessly throwing at you. And to get through that sort of abuse in one piece, you will definitely want to let ‘er roar for the full duration of the record.
And thus, if you fancy yerself a true piece of underground heavy music, then Bloom & Expire should be on your playlist. The blurb truly is raw power incarnate, delivered with high voltage that risks burning you to a crisp if you won’t pay attention. At the same time, it’s a very deep piece with the songwriter having a lot to unload. And both factors together welp an extremely powerful album.
Keep it up band, this one made us almost drop our dislike for all things ‘core. Almost.
Ed’s note: Fancy another brutal shortie? Try Allfather.
Record Rating: 6/10 | Label: Mongrel Records | Web: Facebook (band)
Release Date: 31 March 2023