OH, OH, OH! It’s Magic, You Know…
The passing of a loved one is excruciating, however in some instances it can fuel a fire inside (Davey Havok anyone? Yes please!) that can be restorative and conducive to mental stability and well -being. It can also cause depression that perpetuates dark days and even darker nights. Our Hollow Our Home have used their experiences to forge this masterpiece and cement their rightful place in the world of metal.
Marching up from Creeperland (Southampton, for the pedantic), they stomp their way across the nation and settle comfortably in the lacuna that everyone else missed.
Comprising ten songs that have been arranged into five areas of the human psyche, starting with Denial, and addressing all points germane, namely Anger, Bargaining, Depression and finishing with Acceptance.
“We’re oceans apart and fear is all I know” from “In Moment” accentuates the uneasiness which is further exacerbated by “They’ll be searching for survivors where none can be found.”
“Disconnect” surges forward, a burgeoning mass of molten metal that pulls you under and then we relent as the second of the short breaks in the battle take hold, These interludes are timely, pertinent, giving substance and boosting the innate characteristics present here.
“Anger is an energy” said John Lydon and we feel that emotion as we use this record as a vehicle to journey through our own struggles. These songs limn these ideas with a perceptiveness and a perspicacity.
“You will fall in line or fall by the wayside” from “Love Loss” hammers home an important message, while “You’d better pray for me father, you gotta pray for your son” from “Wraiths” emphasises the story and also showcases an amazing dual attack on the vocal front.
“Bargaining” gives us a chance to breathe easy, gather our thoughts before launching into “Weight & Carriage”. Our lives are cumbersome, we shoulder a burden, looking for somewhere to set it down. This is a burden I would gladly carry and use it as a benchmark- or indeed a guiding light – to show everyone else how it is done.
“My soul’s in a state of emergency” is taken from “Divisions (The Exchange)” tells of the expanse that may be too wide to rebuild.
We ease into the penultimate section entitled “Depression” and we find that it is not easy to “Speak Of Sorrow”
“The chapters change but the stories stay the same, you went with the sunshine and left me with the rain”.
Words that send shivers up and down your spine, leaving you a trembling and crumpled mess, and then instantly elevating you so that you are rejuvenated, reborn even.
An unstoppable force – dominant and irrepressible from all angles, musically, lyrically, technically.
“Father & Ghost” sees the vocals in parts resemble that of Corey Taylor in his more violent Slipknot persona. I’m not singing but my throat is killing me.
“Just keep watching over me” is touching and poignant, tugging on the heartstrings.
“Acceptance” is the final area to be discussed, with the angelic “Parting Gift”. It is delicate, and painful at the same time.
“Just wait for a sign, and the pain in your heart will die”.
“In Memory” closes the show with the apt
“You’re with me in my memory” it completes this record perfectly. These songs deal with the most fragile of subjects in the most humane, sensible, and sensitive way possible. They have the capacity to offer hope, compassion and solace and they also embolden the weak and the oppressed.
Philosophically and psychologically intense leaving me immensely proud of this record and I’m not even in the band.
Our Hollow Our Home – In Moment/In Memory out 19th October on Hollow Music