Blessthefall // “Hollow Bodies” Album Review

Today Arizona quintet Blessthefall release their highly anticipated new and fourth album “Hollow Bodies” through Fearless Records. The five piece have spent their summer on the road around America on the infamous Warped Tour in preparation for launching the new album to fans. And for eager UK followers you too can catch the band on a UK headline tour this autumn. 

To read what we thought of the new album and to find out where you can catch the guys on tour, click below…

Back with their fourth album Blessthefall go in all guns blazing and show no signs of slowing down, and if enormous opener “Exodus” is anything to go by we can’t wait to hear the rest. A long building opening leads to a tight, fast paced anthem with a furious instrumental and clean soaring vocals. It is fair to say that much like the first track the rest of “Hollow Bodies” is an eclectic mix; post hardcore to metalcore, even experimenting with electronic styles, Blessthefall are out to prove that album number four is setting them apart from what has come before and from other genre heavyweights.

Front-man Beau Bokan’s vocals confidently drive the album; huge choruses on tracks such as “You Wear A Crown but You’re No King” are effortlessly delivered with soaring, clean vocals. Energy levels are high throughout, not that we would expect anything less from the ferocious Arizona five-piece. Title track “Hollow Bodies” captures the essence of Blessthefall and what they are known for, yet they manage to step things up even more by adding an electronic element. Mid-point in the album and after the furious and riotous start things are slowed down a little. “Buried In These Walls” is tranquilly beautiful, a far cry from the heavy tracks that precede it. However, it works as a perfect interlude in the album, preparing listeners for the next onslaught of brutal, powerful riffs. The insanely infectious “See You On The Outside” kicks things back up a notch, even introducing a classical piano. “Hollow Bodies” also features a few carefully selected guest vocals, including Jesse Barnett of Stick to Your Guns on “Youngbloods”. The heaviest track on the album it is a forceful barrage of heavy riffs and aggression.

The penultimate track on “Hollow Bodies” is the stripped back and progressive “The Sound of Starting Over”, before concluding with “Open Water”. Paralleled to the lengthy opener, the final song is building and epic. Beau is joined on vocals by his wife Lights and the beautiful duet is the perfect closing melody. Blessthefall mix sugar sweet melodies with downright brutal riffs, proving that the band has very much come into their own. Intense, brutal and atmospheric the songs on “Hollow Bodies” are crying out to be played live; we can’t wait to catch them on tour. 8/10

http://blessthefallmusic.com/

UK October headline dates:

OCTOBER
03 BIRMINGHAM Asylum
04 - LEEDS Cockpit
05 - MANCHESTER NQ Live
06 - NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
07 - GLASGOW Cathouse
08 - NEWCASTLE Northumbria University
09 - LONDON Underworld
10 - BRISTOL The Fleece