Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Alternative/Indie, Progmetal | Heft: Jahrgang 2014, eclipsed Nr. 164 / 10-2014 | VÖ-Jahr: 2014 | Wertung: 7.5/10 | Label: Glassville | Autor: ML
The troupe from Atlanta packs a lot into their metallically oriented alternative rock. What is bubbling under the hard shell becomes really clear only after several listening sessions. On the surface there is a grunge-like vocals in the style of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and guitars howling in metal manner. Singer, guitarist and keyboarder Vladdy Iskhakov adds a whole new timbre with his violin. It gets even more colourful when drummer JBake leaves the straight way, because then there are almost jazz rock-like fusion states; in other passages they sound like The Mars Volta or Dream Theater. The instrumental "Coke Can Steve", which is reminiscent of Rush, is a grandiose one. What distinguishes "Hollow Shrine" beyond that is that no song could be called a failure. The fact that the album becomes more and more diverse and break-heavy with increasing playing time makes it even more exciting. And when they take out the tempo, like in "Waste Of Time", you can't get the melody out of your head anymore.
Top track: Waste Of Time