Hollowhecatomb - The Road to Hell (2013)

Hollowhecatomb is the new solo project of Jm Sundown who is known in the Milwaukee black metal scene for his work with Owlscry, Shroud of Despondency and The Cold Beyond, though he doesn't limit himself to just metal as he's also involved in the neo folk scene with Sundown and a noise/experimental project with his wife called, Temper. Hollowhecatomb surely has its metal traits, though with varying influences to create something that sounds rather fresh, dark and chaotic in its grand scope.

'The Road to Hell' is his debut demo from earlier this year, which was followed by a single titled, 'All Hope is Gone,' though he's now focusing on the debut full-length album that's expected later this year through Night World Records.

'Incineration' initiates the demo with rumbling drum patterns, guitar feedback, discordant guitar riffs and eventually painfully howled vocals, which reminds me more of something from the early 80's no wave scene rather than anything immediately recognizably metal. The song plows away for nine minutes and moves through a variety of manic desperate moods that are absolutely effective in their delivery. 'Siren' is a full-on deranged hardcore punk number channeled through a black metal filter to create something quite frightening. The final song 'Mausoleum' is slow, doomy and noisy initially, but around the four minute mark a solid riff chimes in, when shortly thereafter crashing drums, repetitive riffs and spoken vocals characterize the remainder of the song as it gains in momentum and becomes one calamitous piece of raging agony.

The music presented would probably not be considered complex or technical in any sense, but it has the right amount of emotion and avantgarde-ness as well as hypnotic qualities to really capture my attention for its entire twenty two minute duration. Plus the recording is ridiculously raw and ugly, which I think only enhances the overall mood.

For the curious, you can hear this demo as well as some newer compositions at the Hollowhecatomb Soundcloud profile and keep your eyes and ears open for the full-length on Night World Records in the near future.