Cue a slow melodic opening, slowly building up the intro, and then the splash of a cymbal and the sudden eruption of vocals, followed by perfect drum transition into the next song. This is how Detroit, Michigan’s Hollow Earth decided to open up their maiden Ep: We Are Not Humanity.

The quintet doesn’t go about hardcore in the usual sense. Each track while incorporating some of the typical hardcore elements, makes excellent use of a second guitarist playing an ambient, melodic lead. Vocals are top notch, with the
vocalist using a mixed scream/yell type of singing, complimenting the rest of the instruments well. Not to mention the quality of the tracks are very good, something that is quite impressive for any band’s first EP. Two songs stand out on this EP: On The Bounty of The Gods, which gives the listener the first taste of those unique leads, and On the Precipice, which I personally feel is the strongest track on the album. While the hardcore genre is in no way stale (Unlike this current trend of “Scenecore” trash which seems to have spread across the nation), Hollow Earth is definitely a breath of fresh air, or even better, a new taste in what is already a well diversified genre.

8/10

- Christian