Hollow Earth

Parting Remains (2016)

Maximillian Power

Parting Remains by Michigan’s Hollow Earth is an E.P., and although the release only featuring three songs, it feels like a longer listen than it looks like on paper. Unlike many E.P. releases that may be a stopgap between full-length records, Parting Remains feels like a well thought out and put together stand-alone release.

This record has a science fiction style vibe, telling a story that we have all heard before – humans are destroying the earth, the earth dies, the rich and powerful escape, the rest of us are left to our own devices. It isn’t a bad story, although not a new one either; it doesn’t help to eliminate the comparison to long standing metalcore band Shai Hulud, for whom Hollow Earth guitarist Mike Moynihan once handled vocal duties. The likeness to Shai Hulud remains in the music itself, the music is a well executed modern take on 90’s metalcore, it is more straight forward than some of Shai Hulud’s catalogue, and that isn’t a bad thing.

Hollow Earth take a doomier route on Parting Remains, all of the songs have a very dark and sludgy feel, especially the record closer “Terminal Vestige”. The stand out track “Beyond Celestial Limits” uses some melodic elements, but manages to remain very heavy. The song builds itself up with seemingly simple riffs and droning guitar into a groove filled metalcore banger, with a southern tinged break down that would impress hardcore and metal fans alike.

Hollow Earth is a dark hardcore band that flirts heavily with metalcore, the mixing of both modern metalcore and hardcore could be a blessing or a curse, but in Parting Remains it seems to work nicely. While being able to please the average attendee of This Is Hardcore, and past Misery Signals fans, Hollow Earth may get a bit lost in the mix, although they definitely know how to write a heavy riff. Parting Remains is a solid listen, and a well executed E.P. release that is worth the time of more than just past (and current) Hulud fans.