Helsinki's FragileHollow released their debut album 'Effete Mind' on Italian label Avantgarde Music in 2003. Now the band are looking for a new deal with four-track promotional EP 'Nothing'.

Musicwise, FragileHollow have taken influences from more emotional spectrum of metal and dark rock, canting heavily towards the latter. Bands such as Katatonia (guitar work at times) and HIM (hit potential) come to my mind while listening to this release. Opener 'Instant Pleasure' gives what its title promises; easy, rolling song full of hooks, sounding like a mixture of nowadays' Katatonia and Lullacry. The title song is a slow piece with saddened feel. 'Am Blue's horrible wou-wou synth does it for me and I don't like the song, which is more HIM this time around (lyric lines such as "it's you I want, I need...", anyone?). Slow and, again, saddened 'Flee' is the heaviest piece here, featuring melodies, that wouldn't be out of place on some newer Anathema album. The music is well put together, no doubt about that. If there's something metal, maybe some heavier riffs and guitar leads, but not much more.

The sound is very, very polished, album quality stuff. There's just nothing rough-surfaced here. Vocals are more pop than metal for sure. Surely, the vocalist controls his voice well, but falsetto sound is too much for my ears; they hurt (I think it's male vocalist and not backing female vocalist doing these).

For me, this is way too nice. But if a mixture of aforementioned bands doesn't scare you (for some weird reason, heh), why not give this a spin? 'Instant Pleasure' kicks ass, though.

Reviewed by Lane
12/29/2005 16:12