Album Review: Hollow Front – The Fear of Letting Go (UNFD)

Even when control slips from your grasp, perseverance always remains within reach.

Rather than crumble as the walls cave in, Hollow Front stand tall. The Grand Rapids, MI duo—Tyler Tate (vocals) and Lee Albrecht (guitar) – emerge from a season of seemingly endless trials and tribulations with a cathartic, crushing, and cohesive vision on their 2023 third full-length album, The Fear of Letting Go. Instead of backing down, they transform the chaos around them into unpredictable and undeniable anthems. The new album will be released on October 27th, 2023, via UNFD.

Hollow Front are back, and this album finds them arguably at their heaviest, most passionate, and at their most intense. The Fear of Letting Go is the sound of liberation, the sound of a band pouring all their pain and frustration into something that they can be proud of, and they should be so proud. The Fear of Letting Go is the best thing Hollow Front has released to date simply because there isn’t a song found lacking on the entire thing.

Ten tracks, ten absolute bangers, ten undeniable anthems, and ten unforgettable listens. Beginning with a pair of ‘in your face’ heavy and vigorous tunes. Hollow Front showcasing their ‘core’ power, while being exceptionally anthemic with The Fear of and We’re All Left Suffering. Most will be head over heels in love with this record already.

Yet, Hollow Front are only getting started, and with a slice of monstrous melody in the form of Will I Run, they stay extremely hot. Leading to the absolute barnburner that is Over the Cradle. A track that finds Hollow Front absolutely spitting fire and fury in the verses, but being epically dramatic in the chorus.

Erra’s vocalist JT Cavey makes his substantial voice a focal point of the aptly titled Crash & Burn. Up there as one of the most aggressive tracks on the album. Before former Hollow Front member Dakota Alvarez shows why he will be greatly missed on the haunting and heavy groove hit that is Under Pressure. Dakota Alvarez also makes an appearance on the finale of the record, his swansong, the heartfelt and infectious Letting Go.

Before that excellent closer though, Hollow Front continue to inspire and amaze with a trio of brilliant, blistering, and brash metalcore tracks. If you’ve loved everything before Breaking Teeth, Stay with Me, and Good Things Never Last arrive, you’re going to love these beastly hits too. It can’t be understated just how strong an album this is. Hollow Front have created something without a second of filler, showing a massive amount of progression, and letting their feelings come with an unbelievable amount of self-confidence.

Their best release to date, there can be no doubts about that, but The Fear of Letting Go can also be considered one of the best records of 2023 overall.

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Hollow Front – The Fear of Letting Go Track Listing:

1. The Fear Of
2. We’re All Left Suffering
3. Will I Run
4. Over The Cradle
5. Crash & Burn (feat. JT Cavey)
6. Under Pressure (feat. Dakota Alvarez)
7. Breaking Teeth
8. Stay With Me
9. Good Things Never Last
10. Letting Go (feat. Dakota Alvarez)




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Hollow Front – The Fear of Letting Go (UNFD)
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