Album Review: Lower Hollow – Threnody: Songs of Fortitude (Mongrel Records)

Lower Hollow returns with an unyielding resolve and a sound forged from the depths of adversity. Following the departure of three founding members after their debut album ‘Bloom & Expire’, the band has emerged stronger, fiercer, and more determined than ever. Their latest offering, ‘Threnody: Songs of Fortitude’, is a testament to resilience, exploring the darkest corners of human experience with unflinching honesty and unwavering intensity. The album releases on the 19th of July via Mongrel Records.

Having gone through enough hardship to kill most bands, and using those difficulties in a creative way, Lower Hollow return stronger than ever with Threnody: Songs of Fortitude. The hardcore infused metal band have reached deep inside themselves, and the result is an eleven-track (including an intro) brute of a release. One with a thick rivet of pain running through it.

A short intro (Unrequited), melodic and mournful, leads into Eternal Divide and the sound of Lower Hollow’s frustrations realised. Screaming guitars, powerful percussion, and passionate vocals, they throw their all into this track, and it pays off in heavy, energised style. An aspect that continues into the frenzied Social Disease and the manic infectiousness of Resound & Sustain. The first part of this album showcasing a surprising amount of anthemic value, alongside big sounding melodies, and so much enthusiasm in their heavy sound.

It’s time for Lower Hollow to go bigger, grander, and even more melody infused as The Process of Letting Go cuts right through to the soul. This right here is the album’s best track, filled with so much sentiment, but still effortlessly intense.

It’s a big ask for Lower Hollow to follow that immense effort, but credit where credit is due, they keep the strength of feeling at the forefront with the moody Threnody and the thrilling heavy intensity of Leech. Before keeping it short and very chaotic with Somewhere to Belong. The variety in sound, the exhilarating heaviness, and the soul-wrenching melodies, it is all still as delightful in the latter part of the record as it was in the former.

Hence, plenty of continued excitement as the album reaches its conclusion. Lower Hollow more than capable of keeping the attention fully focused on what they are doing with the angry sounding Burning Bridges and the purely melodic instrumental Lamentation, Pt. 1. Which flows perfectly into the finale of Fundamental, and an ending that might see a tear or two roll down the eye, even as the head bangs hard and the body fits and shakes to the heavy rhythm. A fantastic closing track on a fantastic album overall. Lower Hollow have survived their trials and tribulations and come out stronger for it.

Lower Hollow – Threnody: Songs of Fortitude Track Listing:

1. Unrequited
2. Eternal Divide
3. Social Disease
4. Resound & Sustain
5. The Process Of Letting Go
6. Threnody
7. Leech
8. Somewhere To Belong
9. Burning Bridges
10. Lamentation, Pt. 1
11. Fundamental

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