Release Date: November 01st 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD
Devolve - Track Listing:
1.The Banner Has An Eye 09:37
2.Demons Don't Come From Below 13:12
3.Blizzard Wizard 07:51
4.Venturing The Void 15:24
Members
Liam : guitars, synths, vox
Peter : bass
Zafar : drums, backing vox (on 1)
Yvette : backing vox (on 1 & 4)
Review
Psych/Space/Stoner Rockers Hollow Drifter second album Devolve is most definitely an original blend of Trippy Psychedelic Passages that is powered by an off-beat and surreal style of Space Rock. The whole album sees the band harness the creative spirit of the 1960’s and 1970’s musical scene with elements of Garage Rock, Folk, Prog and Cosmic Rock all having a major part to play and that’s all contained within the epic opening track The Banner Has An Eye.
With a surreal and highly energetic Middle Eastern vibe appearing through multilayered sounds and classic fuzzy grooves with a spicy SPACE ROCK attitude. This allows Hollow Drifter to employ an experimental PROTO ROCK stance with their madcap lyrics and vocals being quite OCCULT ROCK in places. The song doesn’t have a straightforward structure or creative narrative as such with Hollow Drifter moving between the different eras of 1960’s and 1970’s Psych Rock before travelling to a wholly different musical dimension. The album does BLUR the lines between FANTASY and REALITY but the band takes the listener willingly on this mind expanding trip.
Second song Demons Don’t Come From Below aligns Hollow Drifter ever more closely to the Proto Doom and Occult Rock scenes. The experimental stance they took with the opening track is still here with a JAZZY attitude which manifests into some wonderfully strange instrumental passages with the heavier grooves and surroundings taking time to appear. The second half of the track sees Hollow Drifter add some well needed BLACK SABBATH riff worship without compromising their own great style of music. The guitars can be quite intense and freakishly loud but I admire the Space Rock and Ambient sounds that appear which allows Devolve to be quite a different sounding album.
The final two tracks of Blizzard Wizard and Venturing The Void once again sees Hollow Drifter add different musical elements to their music with a more raucous and bombastic style of Garage Rock, Proto Doom and Fuzz Rock which defies rules of the genre at times. The vocals sometimes feels out of place but maybe that’s the point with them being quite abstract with the heavy sludgy instrumental passages that lead the way on perhaps the standout tracks of the whole album.
Devolve is quite an aggressive record with Hollow Drifter perfectly developing their own original style of Heavy Psychedelic magic with warped strands of soulful Doom/Stoner Rock keeping the whole mood buoyant and super fresh.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
