Track Review: “Hollow” by Solothurn

After recieving critical acclaim for their 2023 debut EP “Servitude” Belfast, Northern Ireland quintet Solothurn threw their hat in the Metal 2 The Masses ring for a chance to play the New Blood Stage a year later. As relative new comers to performing live, those shows provided the inspiration the band needed to match their original vision, adding a second guitarist and expanding to a five piece before going into the studio in 2025. Having been known for creating towering walls of reverb-drenched noise and raw emotion that blend 90’s influences from the worlds of Rock and Metal together with both heavy and melodic sensibilities, how does their new work shape up?

Moving into Progressive Metal territory but still maintaining that Stoner Metal undertone that served “Servitude” so well means that “Hollow” feels more like the next evolution of the Solothurn sound than anything else. Following in the footsteps of March single “Waves“, the bands influences in Tool and Deftones rise to the surface from the start of this one with Ryan Adair’s soul stirring vocals at the heart of that. He uses bolder moments in the chorus which are eerily reminiscent of “My Own Prison” era Creed before fading in the haunted, emotively tinged verse, his harsh unclean moments in the final moments seriously impressive. Whether they will make greater use of them in the future is an interesting question but there is no escaping the fact that they’re in the arsenal should they be needed.

Elsewhere Ross Hunters bass has been allowed to be more prominent in the mix at points to give the song more of a robust nature while drummer  Marty Elley has some powerful fills and cymbal crashes to match the emotive parts. Guitarists Dee Cleland and Jamie Wright will have audiences swaying like marionettes with the warmth of their riffs, subtle tempo changes making all the difference in this well crafted piece with distinctive 90’s vibes that aren’t overly nostalgic [8/10]