ALBUM REVIEW: The Fear Of Letting Go – Hollow Front

October 26, 2023 Ed Walton

Following up their 2022 release The Price Of Dreaming, the Michigan duo of Tyler Tate and Lee Abrecht – aka HOLLOW FRONT – are back. This time they’re more ferocious than ever with their third album The Fear Of Letting Go finding them ready to face any challenge that life has ready to throw at them and also embracing a new chapter in the band’s journey.

It’s easy to see why this band resonates so much within the metalcore community; The Fear Of Letting Go explores themes such as introspection, pain and resilience. These are all aspects of life that everyone can relate to and you’d have a hard time finding anyone who hasn’t struggled with them at some point in their life. Whilst the album itself isn’t the most cheerful or easiest of listens, it elevates the band to a whole new level, it’s almost difficult to pick the songs that stand out. The whole record is a very solid addition to the HOLLOW FRONT discography

Opening track The Fear Of lays the foundation for what is to come throughout the rest of the album and works as a prologue. It’s like a freight train: once it starts there’s absolutely no way of stopping it. An oppressive and pummelling guitar compliments both the clean and harsh vocals to create a modern metalcore anthem, and straight away you can imagine the carnage brought on by churning circle pits at a live show.

The album operates on a huge emotional level throughout. Over The Cradle builds upon this by taking us through a whirlwind of emotions, laying out the strenuous details of a broken relationship with a mother. On this track, Tate’s vocals convey a nature of sorrow and heartache which adds to the emotional baggage that comes with this record. You can feel the catharsis it must have brought him to be able to sing about such a subject before ending on the haunting and devastating lyric of “You gave me life, but you never taught me how to live”.

The midpoint offers some of the heaviest moments that the record has to offer, both of which feature guests. Crash And Burn pulls absolutely no punches as it takes you through at breakneck speed backed up by the ferocious vocals of JT Cavey (ERRA); combined with the thunderous drums and the oppressive guitar riffs, you’ll almost feel exhausted by the end of it. Under Pressure is another impressive track that stands out massively. Starting off with a slow build up, it quickly launches into one of the biggest songs on the album. Once again, the band bring an emotional gut punch that allows Tate to show a vulnerable side of himself through the lyrical content.

Closer Letting Go works as a perfect bookend to the album. Serving as the epilogue, this once again ramps up the intensity and sets the stage for what is to come next for the band. Featuring former member Dakota Alvarez (who had previously quit the band) in his second cameo on the album after Under Pressure, it works as a fitting end to the relationship between the band and Alvarez himself. It’s the perfect ending with the band coming to terms with the end of this particular chapter in the adventure of HOLLOW FRONT.

The Fear Of Letting Go is a solid offering from the band. It has an incredibly visceral feel to it that goes hand in hand with the sonic assault of the senses that comes along whilst listening to it. One of its strongest aspects is that it’s able to balance an orchestral sound along with a metalcore sound, which gives it a monstrous, haunted and anthemic quality that would shake the foundations of any sized venue.

Whilst it is a slight deviation from what fans are normally used to, it’s able to stick to the foundations of what came before it. Maybe have something cheerful lined up to listen to after listening because it takes its toll on you emotionally but that isn’t a slight on the album at all. It will resonate with those who are struggling in life and show that HOLLOW FRONT will always be in your corner, no matter what. It’s going to be an exciting future for the band, and we’ll be ready and waiting.

Rating: 8/10