Metal Can Look Good Too || Hollow- Cynoptic Eschaton (EP)

It’s been just over six months since we’ve first mentioned a great little Canuk band that goes by the name Hollow. In that time the employees of Metal Call-Out have had the distinct pleasure of developing a relationship with, and watching Hollow grow as a band. 

Since their inception this merry band of miscreants have shared the stage with some of the larger names in metal and played a fury of of shows in and around their hometown of Montreal, Canada. Most recently Hollow added the release their debut EP, Cynoptic Eschaton, to their growing resume and launched a few copies into the atmosphere to make their way to the Metal Call-Out Space Station and Observatory. When I first tore into the envelope after reaching for it with gloved hand through our airtight hatch (or rather, picked it up at our local P.O. Box) I was immediately struck by it’s cover art, the picture you see above.

These things are important, you know. Sure I own plenty of albums with less than aesthetically pleasing covers but to me it’s all part of the experience. Opening the package, splitting the plastic wrap with your thumb nail in the gap between the front cases hinges, doting over the art work, reading they lyrics, and finally enjoying compositions within.

I could easily turn this into a review about how much I was impressed with the album itself but that will just have to wait for another day. The purpose of this review is to spotlight not what we hear, but what we see...

For being an unsigned band, Hollow has continually impressed me with their professionalism. They handle their own management, respond to emails quickly, and as I said before; have managed to secure themselves plenty of shows with admirable headliners. Why then, would it be any surprise that their EP cover and packaging was marked by this same professionalism and attention to detail? Well, those of you in small or local bands can perhaps appreciate this feat more than your “civi” counterparts knowing the time, effort, and most prevalently, money needed to accomplish this with out big label backing is significant. 

Responsible for the album’s graphic design and the photography is Myste’re D’om Studios, who’s entire website is in French (a language I do not know), but displays a prowess this small companies‘ artists have for taking and manipulating photographs that no language barrier can smother. The barrier does, however, cut my intention of providing you with information about Myste’re D’om a little short...

To listen to the music of, or learn more about Hollow, visit their MySpace Page. To simply pick up your own copy of their EP, visit their CD Baby Page. 

Recommended for fans of: Dimmu Borgir, Emperor.