Hollow Corp. – Cloister of Radiance
Prosthetic Records – 6561910063-2 – 30 September 2008
By Jason Jordan
A good example of post-metal is what we have from France’s
Hollow Corp. Cloister of Radiance was originally released in 2007, but Prosthetic chose to release it a year later in the North American market. It’s true that
HC echo diverse bands such as
Burst,
Mastodon,
The Ocean, and a host of Neur-Isis-core troupes all within the span of an hour, but luckily don’t mirror any of them too closely.
‘Elevation’ sets the tone like an opener should, delivering tumultuous heavy-handed riffs,
Burst-like melody lines, and rocky upfront growls. I’m not a fan of Azam’s singing—especially during finale
‘Thujon’—because it’s average at best. As mentioned above, numerous tracks bring other bands to mind immediately—a trait that is both a blessing and a curse. For example, the opening of
‘Code’ could pass for
Mastodon, while
‘Sabbat’ parallels
Opeth, and there’s no shortage of Neur-Isis-esque, instrumental drifting in
‘Peripherals’ and
‘Opium’. Thus, I think it’s fair to say that
Hollow Corp. wear their influences on their sleeve, but at the same time, not necessarily to a detrimental degree if innovation isn’t of the utmost concern.
Cloister of Radiance is solid—nothing more and nothing less—but Prosthetic have admittedly released superior records this year. This isn’t bad, though.
Official Hollow Corp. Website
Official Hollow Corp. MySpace
Official Prosthetic Records Website
