At times, the UK metalcore scene can feel stagnant and oversaturated which can be frustrating when looking at successful bands such as Architects and Bury Tomorrow. However, in the last couple of years, Our Hollow, Our Home have been making a lot of noise; with a few EPs and festivals under their belt, they recently released their debut album ‘Hartsick’ to critical acclaim. Tonight, the first night of their UK run, is a celebration of that strong album.
Vanity Draws Blood kicks off tonight’s proceedings with their concoction of disgustingly heavy riffs and visceral growls, and they make for a harrowing opening band. Their tracks are stomping, heavy ones and shake the core of everyone that’s in the venue.
Picking up from where Vanity Draws Blood ends, Sworn Amongst are dark and brooding, and swamp the stage with their presence. Huge, beefy riffs ring out, alongside deep and dominant vocals, especially during ‘Genesis’. It’s here that the crowd start to warm up and go nuts, creating a relatively small but furious mosh pit.
From start to end, tonight’s headliners Our Hollow, Our Home raise the bar incredibly high and show just how phenomenal they are. The vocal interplay between Connor Hallisey and Tobias Young during tracks such as ‘Karmadillo’ is simply off the scale; they battle back and forth with their raw and visceral vocal range, which sees both growls and clean vocals drenched in power.
Technical riffs are crushingly heavy and, combined with intense speed and ferocity, Our Hollow, Our Home create an electric atmosphere within the confines of the small room. Anthems such as ‘Throne to the Wolves’ and the bold ‘Hartsick’ are sung back with emotional tenacity, and it’s easy to pick up on the energy that fuels tonight’s crowd.
Tonight has demonstrated just how brilliant Our Hollow, Our Home are. At the moment, they seem to be a rather quiet and understated band but, once they hit their stride, they’re really going to shine.
JESS TAGLIANI