The title track of metalcore band blessthefall's fourth album is better known to me as one of the first few 2010s metalcore songs I fell in love with, largely due to having seen Nik Nocturnal's cover of it.
First impressions are some of the strongest, and when I was just starting to get into metal, there was this period of time where I wasn't even fully aware that I liked metal. So when I went from I Prevail's Hurricane and Bring Me The Horizon's Drown to songs like Beartooth's The Line and, more relevantly, blessthefall's Hollow Bodies, it clicked and my mind was blown.
I love the intro/main riff of this song, there's this sound of 2010s metalcore that this riff hones in on almost perfectly (well, if you think about it, it's more like it defined the sound). I love the glitchy beats at the start coupled with the riff starting off a bit softer and muffled, so that when the verse starts, there's this brutal punchiness to it that complements the screams. The guitar tone is spot on as well.
The screams are super strong, and I think it was my favourite thing about this song when I first started listening to it. There's this visceral quality to it, especially with the higher notes, that made it sound so monstrous and powerful. Not to mention, the lyrics were also evil-sounding, which just added to the atmosphere. The buildup and callout going into the final breakdown are one of the most effective moments I've seen, and it is absolutely brutal.
The clean vocals are robust, and although this song is one where the cleans take a bit more of a backseat, he still does a great job with the chorus and verse lines. If you're looking for songs where he gets to shine, Hey Baby, Here's That Song You Wanted is a better pick.
The guitarwork is brilliant throughout this song, and it's grown on me a lot as I've improved as a guitar player, now being my favourite thing about this song. The use of tremolo sections, tapping parts, pinch harmonics and chugs are all so iconic to that era of metalcore and also executed beautifully in this song. It's also been super fun to learn and play this song too, and as one of the first few songs I learned and sort-of mastered on guitar, it definitely has sentimental value to boot.
Hollow Bodies is more or less a metalcore classic, save for those who grew up with 2000s metalcore and prefer bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Killswitch Engage. As for me, a metaphorical baby when it comes to listening to metal, my classics have been more or less sporadic, and most are modern classics to begin with, so Hollow Bodies is a rare exception that I'm glad to highlight here.
Rating: 4/5