Album Review: Memphis May Fire - The Hollow

Before we enter, one would be advised to prepare himself/herself for the audio assault about to land. In fact, Memphis May Fire can confidently sit amongst the current roster at Rise Records (Miss May I, Emarosa, Of Mice & Men, The Bled etc.) with the kind of muscular post-hardcore they’re generating.

The Dallas bunch provide all the necessary elements to build a strong metalcore album with some face-crushing guitar-work, clean/growly vocal work and the essential breakdown sections. In a genre that easily gets tiresome, Memphis May Fire bring a healthy dose of flourishes to their style with some truly massive choruses and some electronic strokes here and there. Tracks like ‘The Victim’ and ‘The Sinner’ showcase the good balance they reach between all their ingredients.

Significantly, the band are considerably more consistent than on their debut ‘Sleepwalkers’ with very few miss hits. However, the “no-breathing-space-between-songs” decision can take somewhat of a toll on the listener especially when the songs blend into each other. It makes it difficult to distinguish the uniqueness of the tracks themselves and by the end, the listener might find himself a tad bored.

Metalcore fans shouldn’t be scared off though. ‘The Hollow’ is a very strong record that will suit anyone’s heavy rock needs while still caring for those lovers of a good old catchy hook. Memphis May Fire have certainly improved since their debut and have taken a few successful steps into new territory.

4/5

'The Hollow' by Memphis May Fire is out now on Rise Records.

Memphis May Fire on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace.

James Berclaz-Lewis