21st May 2024

Review: “Hollow” by Electron

If you’re looking for signs that indicate something is worth checking out before you’ve heard a single note, EP “Hollow” from London Alternative Metal trio Electron has a few things up its sleeve. Aside from the Nu-Metal inspired cover art that instantly brings to mind 1996’s “Life Is Peachy” from KoRn, having Grammy Award nominee in producer Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Funeral For A Friend, Nova Twins) on board makes it an interesting prospect. Add to that the simple fact that two of the pre-release singles have together surpassed 180k of YouTube and Spotify streams combined and that their debut album “Defiance” is a solid record that needed a little refinement and everything is looking positive…

…while “Burning Inside” isn’t a cover of the Ministry classic, it is an Industrial tinged affair with chunky riffage and introspective lyrics that finds the three piece in Nu-Metal territory. An anthemic sing-a-long chorus and well executed step up in energy in the final third gives it a wonderful nostalgic quality and will leave you wondering if you called Doc Brown for trip back to 1999. What’s great about it is that it’s not a cliché and serves as a timely reminder of what was good about the genre in the first wave. Cut from the same cloth with chugging rhythmic guitars “The Unbound” strips back the electronics while bringing out some tasteful understated leads so you get that solid stomp of continuity between the opening two tracks. It might not be as bold a statement as the first tune but it’s certainly its perfect partner and you may even find yourself singing along after the first listen, such is the way in which the vocals infect your mind. If any of these songs are playing on your playlist or on the jukebox there is no reason to change the channel as each one delivers in its own way.

Guitar driven with a Nirvana inspired bouncy bassline from Joanna Hyde, “Tame!” feels like a blueprint for a track just waiting to be remixed to go viral in clubland. Keyboard embellishments work well, the pace and energy of the performance making it stand out from the crowd before the pot boils over with the title track “Hollow“. Once more offering an anthemic chorus, guitarist and vocalist Jason Payne strikes the perfect balance between riffs that get you interested and lyrics which resonate without overdoing either. There is no woe is me element or needless flamboyance, instead the band choosing to strip the sound back and give the listener something which feels more rounded and darker. Introducing some lower vocal moments “Loathe” unintentionally takes the familiar Nu-Metal riff of “Smothered” by Spineshank and uses it to drive the nails into the coffin lid with style and grace. Electron have done exactly what we hoped they would do with this record; refine their sound and give it more focus and direction. Breaking the shackles of the Traditional Heavy Metal elements on their debut album “Defiance“, it feels like now they have become the beast they truly wish to be with “Hollow“. [7.5/10]

Track Listing