“The urge to hold on will be the end of me.”
The past year has not been kind to Hollow Front. Following a van crash in March 2022 while on tour, the Michigan outfit seemed to face a series of endless trials. This included the departure of many of the band’s members, the biggest blow being key member Dakota Alvarez — vocalist, guitarist, and primary writer integral to Hollow Front’s sound up to this point. All of these difficulties surely handicapped the band’s rapid upward trajectory. Where many would have called it quits, they chose to soldier on to their third studio album, The Fear of Letting Go. Now reduced to a duo, vocalist Tyler Tate and guitarist/producer Lee Albrecht take on the daunting task of continuing Hollow Front‘s legacy.
Hollow Front’s sound has always been characterised by raw emotion. Their debut album, Loose Threads, took a gritty, heavier approach, containing some of the hardest-hitting tracks of their discography. When Albrecht officially joined the band in 2021, they shifted towards a melodic, progressive metalcore-inspired style with The Price of Dreaming (2022). Now, the biggest curiosity lies in which direction this third album will lean towards.
Interestingly, the record presents a blend of their two sounds, to varying degrees. Albrecht, though not an official member until their second record, has served as the group’s producer through most of their projects, and that has certainly made it easier to recapture the essence of their previous work. Returning to his producer role here, the album features the grittier mix that their older releases were known for. Arguably, this aids in delivering the raw emotion that The Fear of Letting Go aims to portray. Now, perhaps more than ever, Hollow Front wear their hearts on their sleeve.
Fans of their aggressive tracks (à la Homewrecker (2017)) will no doubt have already latched onto pre-release single “Breaking Teeth”. The hardcore-leaning track brings back the meaty riffs in a gradual slowdown, and Tate brings his angriest performance in a long time to a track which perfectly befits it. Laced with frustration about the state of affairs, it pulls no punches. Mid-album track “Crash & Burn” follows in this direction, led by a bleak and apocalyptic chord progression. The composition of the track takes cues from the progressive metalcore influences of before, but presents it in a much heavier fashion. It proves an effective blend of old and new, crafting a sound that is sure to satisfy both sides of their audience. JT Cavey of ERRA brings his signature ferocity-laden screams to the track, pushing the impact of the song further over the edge.
“Stay With Me” brings back the more emotional side of Loose Threads (2020). Tate, known primarily for his screams, took it upon himself to do full vocal duties rather than recruit another clean vocalist for the studio, and he puts forward an admirable display of his singing skills here. Soaring vocals layered overtop low-tuned open chords on the chorus help channel the emotion of the song. It’s a worthy highlight of the album, showing that the band still has it in them; of all, it justifies the decision to continue as a duo. These sentiments are echoed for earlier track “Will I Run?”, cementing my confidence in Tate’s abilities to carry the vocals in Hollow Front.
Fewer tracks follow in the footsteps of The Price of Dreaming, but they are nonetheless a welcome inclusion on the album. “Over the Cradle” details an estranged relationship with one’s mother. The pain in Tate’s voice is conveyed in an overt, straightforward manner, and the melodic direction creates an appropriately vulnerable atmosphere for the track. “Underpressure” and album closer “Letting Go” hold the distinction of being the last two songs the band wrote with Dakota Alvarez. His soulful vocals leave their marks, his ability to inject feeling into the tracks not lost. The words of “Letting Go” in particular are, in Tate’s own words, “speaking directly to Dakota and lamenting the loss of him in Hollow Front.” The pair of songs are bittersweet, a goodbye to an integral member to the band. Concluding the record this way, intentional or not, truly feels like turning the page to a new chapter.
The songs that fill out the rest of the tracklist are something new altogether, an unexpectedly new flavour. “We’re All Left Suffering” demonstrates this best, opening with a melodic metalcore style riff reminiscent of something Fit For A King would compose. Utilizing orchestral elements in the background and climaxing in a destructively low-tuned breakdown, the track is an intriguing picture of a new Hollow Front. A few other tracks follow this rough foundation, and I do feel that it is a sound with room to expand. The band have made the right choice of introducing it in doses, rather than making it the definitive sound of the record.
The Fear of Letting Go, amidst all adversity, has somehow managed to become a comprehensive display of the band’s abilities. It accomplishes the task of blending past and present and maintaining their signature, heavily emotional writing — a transitional record which will surely please most fans. Admittedly, I am not fully enamoured with all the lyrical content, as parts lack originality, but the overall atmosphere and delivery help them to still feel genuine. Cliché or not, it’s hard to consider it a huge detriment due to their honest nature. Setback after setback ironically provided an environment for Hollow Front to present themselves sincerely, and I am impressed by the end result. Tate and Albrecht, forging onwards, seem to have rekindled the essence of the band.
8/10
The Fear of Letting Go releases October 27th via UNFD, and pre-order links for the album can be found here.