Review Summary: Hollow Bodies was a great improvement for blessthefall, and definitely an album that deserves recognition. Out of the metalcore albums released at this point of the year, it is an album that proves itself among the metalcore scene.
blessthefall’s fourth album, their second album with the same lineup of members, packs a punch that delivers a classic metalcore sound filled with breakdowns, riffs, and melody driven choruses. Produced by Joey Sturgis, Hollow Bodies strays from the style that brought widespread success to blessthefall; however, their original sound and influences remain noticeable on the record. Songs such as “Hollow Bodies” and “Carry On” combine heavy breakdowns with evolved screams from bassist Jared Warth in addition to guitarist Elliot Gruenburg, who also offers screamed vocals. Warth’s vocals are undoubtedly more developed and precise when compared to past releases Awakening and Witness, as lines such as “You’ll never stop till you get what you want. You think you have control? You tried to take mine!” are easily understood because of the vast improvement in Warth’s pronunciation. Warth’s vocals on the record are quite consistent, making up for the fact that his vocal range is not nearly as wide as other vocalists in the genre. Critics have also been known to critique clean vocalist Beau Bokan’s vocal range as it remains relatively high pitched; however, alongside Warth’s screams it brings a unique aspect to blessthefall.
Even with his flaws, Bokan’s style and tone definitely stand apart from other metalcore vocalists such as Matty Mullins and Danny Worsnop. Despite having followed the so-called generic “metalcore” formula of songwriting, blessthefall manages to incorporate songs such as “See You On The Outside” (which was co-written with Vic Fuentes, vocalist and guitarist of the post-hardcore band Pierce the Veil) and “Buried in These Walls”, which are chorus driven songs consisting of no breakdowns, yet are reminiscent of songs such as “40 Days” (from their release Witness) and “Hey Baby” (from their release Awakening).
Their instrumental writing and vocals are not the only aspects of the band that have evolved with Hollow Bodies; their lyrics and the imagery that the lyrics consist of have become noticeably darker. Concerning the meaning of the track “You Wear A Crown But You’re No King,” a scenario from vocalist Beau Bokan’s past is mentioned in an Alternative Press article from their December 2013 issue, as the story behind it is that “...it's about a particularly dark piece of Bokan's personal history, when as a baby, he was kidnapped by his estranged father. Bokan was obviously too young to remember the events surrounding the incident, but was made aware through various recounts from his mother, grandparents, and other family members. 'The huge emotional toll it took on my mom lasted years,' Bokan reveals. 'I also had to deal with my dad trying to force his way back into my life later when I was a teenager. I never wanted to have anything to do with him. I have only met him twice. The reason for me writing about this now, well into my adulthood, is that this album was planned out to be a deeper, darker record."
Guest performances by Jesse Barnett of Stick To Your Guns, Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red, and electro-pop singer Lights increase the variety of influences upon the album. “Youngbloods”, featuring Jesse Barnett, is an angry, fast track driven by hardcore influences as it drifts away from blessthefall’s usual metalcore sound. “Carry On”, featuring Jake Luhrs, still follows blessthefall’s metalcore style, yet it elaborates more on the technicalities of the genre as throughout touring and becoming friends with August Burns Red, they have become influenced by the metalcore giants. Hollow Bodies ends on a high note with the track “Open Water”, which features Lights (who is also vocalist Beau Bokan’s wife). Completely stepping away from the metalcore music that defines blessthefall, “Open Water” is a seven minute love ballad with soaring vocals and a moving melody.
Overall, Hollow Bodies was a great improvement for blessthefall, and definitely an album that deserves recognition. Out of the metalcore albums released at this point of the year, it is an album that proves itself among the metalcore scene.
