Hauntologist – Hollow

Black metal doesn’t have any boundaries. While it is performed with different musical attitudes in different geographies, it also shows serious differences lyrics-wise. There are musical formations that deal with very different subjects within the genre, which we can generally think of as feeding on negativity.

It is known that great work has been done for this genre in Poland in the last 10-15 years. However, the style that can be described as “urban black metal” made by bands such as Biesy or Odraza is even newer. Listeners, who have been accustomed to topics such as misanthropy, nihilism, anti-religion, devil worship, nature, climate conditions, mythology and paganism for years, are now exposed to the expressions of these Poles who are tired of the gloom and monotony of city life and have problems in average daily life and human relations.

Although some bands as Agrypnie (Germany) have partially exhibited such approaches in the past, the band that is the subject of this review and other similar bands are more influenced by the city they live in, as if it were a living organism, similar to the style of Paul Auster’s novels inspired by New York.

Hauntologist is a new band. But the members of the two-piece band are musicians who have gained serious respect in the scene with their work over the years. Darkside is on drums, and The Fall (Michał Stępień, ex-Medico Peste) whom we particularly know from Mgla’s live performances, is on other instruments and vocals. The compositions were written by both of them. There is generally atmospheric music in the album, where you can understand that they are from Poland even if you listen to them without knowing who they are. Musically, there are intense progressive rock influences.

I can’t find much to say about Darkside’s performance and the drums he wrote. He shows in every project he is involved in that he is currently one of the best drummers in the extreme metal world. As you might know, The Fall is also a very experienced musician. Therefore, it is not possible to talk about anything to complain about in terms of musicianship. The only problem of the album, which promises a beautiful musical journey in general, is that not all the songs are very good. It is impossible not to take off our hat to the beauty of the first two songs. If all the compositions were of the same beauty, it would be possible to say that one of the best albums of 2024 has been released in its early days. In conclusion, it is an enjoyable album to listen to depending on its good production and the spirit it contains. If they improve their formula, they will harm a lot of broken hearts in the near future. That’s for sure.

7,5/10