Release Date: May 03rd 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Dust - Tracklisting
1. Poison Bite (3:34)
2. Sick Days (3:58)
3. Funeral Storms (3:47)
4. Another Day Dying (4:51)
5. Holy Water (5:46)
Members
Scott Angelacos - vocals
Brent Lynch - guitar/backing vocals
Tom Crowther - bass
John Stewart - drums, rainstick general
Review
Sludge/Doom Metallers Hollow Leg return after a five year absence with their new EP Dust which is the first of a two-part release. This time round the band opt for a new heavier and perhaps clearer sound compared to their previous albums. The sound is more aggressive and quite forceful while still bringing sludge-based melodies to the Groove Metal surroundings heard within the bombastic opening track Poison Bite.
The track has a buoyant High On Fire/Motorhead energy within the music and even the harsh vocals from lead vocalist Scott. There’s a subtle and aggressive flavour of Doom Metal with a fantastic kinetic Psychedelic energy heard within the lyrics.
Second track Sick Days has a more fleeting style of NOLA based sounds with the band going all out by playing a classic style of Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves that sees Hollow Leg playing a more riff focused delivery within this track alone. There’s some sublime FUZZED UP and SEEDY sounding guitar solos with powerful drumming to match.
Third track Funeral Storm is another down-tuned and catchy number with Scott’s vocals bridging the gap between punishing Doom Metal aggression and the more subtle Sludge Metal sound. Brent Lynch provides excellent vocal support with his cleaner style of delivery. The later stages of the song is dominated by Psychedelic Stoner Metal and Prog Rock even within the short running time of the track not hindering the band at all.
Fourth Song Another Day Dying is classic Hollow Leg through and through with the instrumental sounds being more aggressive and fast-paced compared to the other tracks. There’s moments of pissed off THRASH elements appearing with the track having a stripped back quality. Scott’s vocals are slightly more demonic and there’s some epic harsh passages which allow this track to perhaps be the heaviest part of the whole EP.
The final track of Holy Water opens with a solitary acoustic guitar with Hollow Leg adding different levels of instrumental passages. The song is quite different with the band opting for a surreal sound with moments of intricate Post-Doom allowing Hollow Leg playing a similar style of music to Ancient VVisdom with its melodic and acoustic structure. The song still has moments of Psychedelic Metal becoming more primal and the sludgy guitars gaining more control as time goes by. The vocals are a mixture of harsh and clean based passages with a certain Alice In Chains energy or influence appearing within the later stages of the track.
Dust is a first rate slice of modern day Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal that sees Hollow Leg announce their return with supreme confidence and promising more punishing grooves within the second part of the EP that will be released at a later date.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo. Dust will be available to buy digitally from Friday 3rd May 2024.
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