Hollow Kriez – The Time Has Come
Up until the mid-1990s, local bands were for the most part just that: local. Prior to the Internet, YouTube and MySpace, there was no free global market for local bands to pimp their music.
Back in 1996 (originally through computer BBSes and later, the Internet) I struck up a friendship with a fellow from Columbia, South Carolina. While our common interests initially revolved around computers, we soon discovered we had similar tastes in music as well. Based on that, my friend mailed me a four-song demo from a local, unsigned band: Hollow Kriez. I may be the only person in Oklahoma with a copy of this tape, which is actually a shame; Hollow Kriez is a pretty decent band.
The Time Has Come…, the four-song demo from Hollow Kriez, is a solid early offering from the four piece Columbia metal band.
The opening song is probably all most people would need to decide if Hollow Kriez is for them. After a pounding introduction full of double bass, the song divides itself into equal parts thrash and groove metal. In early press material the band compared themselves to Slayer and Pantera, and while there are whisps of those bands floating around, the breakdown in the middle of the first song is all Crowbar.
None of the tape’s four tracks are filler. “Hatred” features a galloping drum track with grooved guitars sprinkled over the top; “Heaven’s War” is probably responsible for those “early Metallica” comparisons — some of the vocals are a bit rough and the main riff may be the tape’s most forgettable; album closer “Fate” redeems the package, starting with another brutal drum attack and bringing the pace of the album back with a bit of respectable thrash.
Over the years I lost contact with my Columbian friend and I’ve often wondered what happened to Hollow Kriez. This week, twelve years after originally receiving this cassette, I found out. They became Undefined. They’re still making and recording music, and even kept a few old Hollow Kriez tunes in their set list. If you’re closer to Columbia, South Carolina than I am, be sure to pick up a copy of their latest CD.
01. Hollow Kriez
02. Hatred
03. Heaven’s War
04. Fate