Little Atlas - "Hollow" Review

Artist/ Band: Little Atlas
Title: Hollow
Label: 10T Records
Year of Release: 2007
Artist/ Band Link (click for details/ ordering)

The Review:

Little Atlas returns with their fourth CD 'Hollow', first with 10T Records. They continue to hone their sound, songwriting and compositional skills with each release. I loved their last one, 'Wanderlust', and wasn’t sure they could top that, since it was filled with such amazing melodies and catchy songs, a nice blend of old and new ideas. Well, on 'Hollow', they take what I loved on Wanderlust and expanded it, into a darker side of progressive rock. As always, the thought provoking lyrics are sung with so much emotion. Taking it to the edge but not quite going over, seems to be the style of music, Little Atlas shoots for and achieves in many ways.

On ‘Hollow’ you hear echoes of many other bands but blended in a way you can’t pinpoint which and where. From the opening title track to the ending “Special” the band takes the listener on a wild ride through the dark sides of the mind. Usually when a band dives into this type of subject matter, they add a metallic almost prog-metal sound. Not Little Atlas, they utilize moods through some of the most atmospheric emotional symphonic music I have heard in a album in a long while.

All of the songs are highlights for me, depending on my mood but the opening title track sums up what the band is all about in short form, and the next song “Silence” shows the band’s skills in a long form. To my ears, 'Hollow' is one of the best albums of 2007 and is highly recommended to fans of the melodic side of progressive rock as well as those that like some drama in lyrics and instrumentation.

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on December 21st, 2007

Tracks:

1. Hollow

2. Silence

3. Paranoiac

4. Contumacious

5. Preying

6. Orderly

7. Hiding

8. Stage

9. Symbiosis

10. Special

Reviewed Discography

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