Hollowborn, who gave a warning of what was to come with their dizzying Mind Chaos single last month, released their debut album 66 Sins. The quintet Julius Nikander – Anton Louko – Ronnie Roos – Bryan Ugartechea – Jani Aalto is purposefully heading towards the international market of modern metal, and the catchy singles, spiced with progressive elements, have already made the industry buzz.
“66 Sins tells a dark dystopian story that dives deep into a variety of emotions, combining complex rhythms and melodies that captivate and challenge the listener in equal measure,” the band says.
The band, which also challenges itself technically, constantly stretches its own boundaries both musically and in terms of the elements traditionally associated with metal. The end result is an aggressive and spacious ensemble, in which a certain chaos has been harnessed as a resource.
This is also the case in the two songs taken from the album, for which Dystopian has already been released with a video, while the album opener Aeon takes on an even darker landscape.
“Aeon deals with the course of an individual’s existential journey and the distortion of time through themes of mortality and chaos. The lyrics convey destruction, despair and mysticism, and ‘aions’ describe the different cycles of time and the continuity of life and death,” the band says, adding that the song also captures the feelings that come with understanding that the crushing weight of time cannot be escaped.
“The chorus reflects the inevitable plunge into darkness and despair, in which the ‘Hollowborn’ – those who have been lost or corrupted – are thrown into a state of eternal pain. As the narrator feels his life slipping away, the song hints at the irreversibility of time, the approach of death and the struggle to transcend the limits of his own mortality.”
The band, which builds diverse musical short films in its songs, also praises the album’s sound wizard Rami Nykänen, who captured the innovative and brutal sound.
“The brilliant thundering sound was conjured by Rami Nykänen, who mixed and mastered the album and recorded the drums at Sonic Pump Studios, creating a big and powerful soundscape for the album. 66 Sins gives a heavy, blood-curdling ride where there is no mercy. Are you ready to face your 66 sins?”
Hollowborn is heading to gigs as early as next week, and the official album release gig for the 66 Sins album will be held at Bar Loose in Helsinki on April 9th.
Hollowborn is:
Vocals: Julius Nikander
Guitar: Anton Louko
Guitar: Ronnie Roos
Bass: Bryan Ugartechea
Drums: Jani Aalto