• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

November 2024

• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Hollow Haze: Between Wild Landscapes ...

Melodic Symphonic Power Metal

5.0/5.0

Website Facebook
Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 10.07.2019 | Released: 12.07.2019

Well. Things you don't know. I didn't know that Hollow Haze founder, guitarist, and songwriter Nick Savio dissolved the band back in 2015 after their sixth album Memories Of An Ancient Time. He went on to join Eternal Idol, another symphonic power metal band formed by vocalist Fabio Lione (who also performed on a previous Hollow Haze album). But now Savio has bailed from Eternal Idol to resurrect and reform Hollow Haze. The new band features bassist Davide Cestaro, vocalist Fabio Dessi (Arthemis) and drummer Paolo Caridi (MLB). If you recall, Savio and Hollow Haze have had more than a little turbulence in the vocal slot. Has he settled on a single singer, and will Dessi last? Inquiring minds want to know. Until then ...

Hollow Haze

... Enjoy perhaps the best Hollow Haze album to date, and the one with the longest title, Between Wild Landscapes And Deep Blue Seas (BWLADBS). That may be enough to picque your musical interest. On the one hand, Savio and company are not reinventing the Hollow Haze wheel. BWLADBS offers the familiar Hollow Haze musical territory of melodic power metal wrapped in bombastic orchestration, rock rhythm and groove, sweet melodies, pleasing choruses, and thrilling guitar solos.

Maybe stepping away for a few years gave Savio some new perspective. The songs within BWLADBS sound fresh, enthusiastic, energetic and, fundamentally, accessible. Essentially, they hook you from the start, draw you in, keep your interest, and ultimately end up satisfying your listening ear. Much of this comes from those aforemented Hollow Haze essentials, but more specifically the melody, harmony, and rock groove abundant in each song. And vocal harmony is at a premium. Fabio Dessi is a marvelous vocalist, singing strong and clean, easily following the song melody and raising song harmony. (Heads up, Nick. Don't let this dude go.) Otherwise, for us purists, BWLADBS is still heavy and powerful in the grand tradition of classic heavy/power metal. Riffs roar; the rhythm section thunders and gallops; and guitar solos bristle and soar like skylighting fireworks.

As for the songs, I can safely say that there's not a runt among the litter. While most songs begin with ambitious orchestration, if you want some heavier tunes listen for A Different Sky, New Era, or Your Are My End And My Beginning. Symphonic power metal with ripping rock groove comes with songs like Destinations, Oblivion, and Behind The Wall. It's Always Dark Before The Dawn offers lighter orchestration to start, only to drop in a spry guitar line, and then moves with riffs and rock rhythm for more melodic heavy metal. A powerful anthemic metal ballad arrives with I Will Be There, where you find Fabio Dessi at his peak.

All in all, Hollow Haze's Between Wild Landscapes And Deep Blue Seas is simply a brillant and entertaining platter of melodic and symphonic heavy power metal. Their best yet. Get it. Quite recommended.

Pattern-Seeking Animals: S/T

Melodic Progressive Rock

5.0/5.0

Behind many great bands there lies musical contributors you often do not see. The proverbial man behind the curtain as it were. Songwriter, producer, and keyboard ... [ Read More ]

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Hollow Haze's Between Wild Landscapes And Deep Blue Seas is simply a brillant and entertaining platter of melodic and symphonic heavy power metal. Their best yet. Get it. Quite recommended.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]