Our Hollow, Our Home – Hope & Hell
Release Date: 27th September 2024
Label: Arising Empire
Order/Stream
Genre: Metalcore, Post-Hardcore.
FFO: Hands Like Houses, Hollow Front, Breakdown At Tiffany’s, In Heart’s Wake.
Review By: Mike Leighton
Extremely underrated metalcore outfit, Our Hollow, Our Home, are gearing up to release their fourth full length album, Hope & Hell, this coming Friday, September 27th. Hailing from Southampton, UK, Our Hollow, Our Home started their musical career back in 2013 and have since released 1 EP, and 3 full length LPs. Their last album, Burn in the Flood, really helped them reach a wider range of fans within the post-hardcore/metalcore fan base. Hope & Hell will be a bittersweet release as the band decided to call it quits right before its initial announcement. Our Hollow Our Home was made up of Gaz King on vocals, Tobias Young on guitars/vocals, James Hackett on guitar, Matt Thomason on bass guitar and Kieran Tonks on drums. Our Hollow, Our Home will be releasing Hope & Hell through Arising Records at the end of this week, so let’s dive in!
This English metalcore group had been putting out solid music for the better part of 11 years, and with the upcoming release of their fourth and final album, they’ve continued to put their own flavor on the post-hardcore genre. Throughout the record we hear soaring melodies and unique vocal flourishes (akin to band Hands Like Houses) amidst musical composition that is bound to please any fan of this style of music. Castaway is the first track and right off the bat it gives fans a peek into what Our Hollow Our Home has to offer on the rest of the record, and it’s certain to please old fans while also drawing in some new ones. Hope & Hell expands on the sound with insanely melodic guitar riffs, some harsh vocals blended with a catchy chorus that’s sure to get the crowd singing along should the band play it live at Hollow-een!
Track 2, Burial Season, is sure to draw listeners in as it opens with crushing riffs juxtaposed with some intense orchestral elements before diving into the first verse. Bringing everything back full circle with a wonderfully grand chorus right before swinging back into a harsh second verse. This track is definitely a favorite on the album for me! Next, Veil Walker, one of the initial singles dropped for the album, excellently highlights the band’s ability to write an accessible post-hardcore/metalcore piece. The Worst in Me, starts off with a darker, dissonant sounding verse later met with an uplifting chorus. It feels different and refreshing at times, especially compared to what we’ve heard up to this point.
Later in the album we get, In Reflection: a softer, ballad-like track. The vocals are similar to the cleans that we’ve heard thus far, but the lyrics have more of an introspective feel to them. This one might not be technically impressive, but it gives the audience a peaceful breather before they jump back into the meat of the album. Grave Warden and Bloodmoon close out the album with a punch and are without a doubt two of the heaviest and most impressive tracks in the collection. These two would be great fun live and would most certainly get the pit roaring.
Our Hollow Our Home’s last album, Hope & Hell, is an extremely well crafted, metal album filled with some crushing guitar riffs, sweeping leads, and clean sung vocals that ooze melody! Check it out if you feel like something new, or if you’re a long-term fan of the band!
(4 / 5)
