It has been a long road for 3 Years Hollow to get to this point in their career. Like many hard rock bands today, this Midwestern quintet financed their early releases on their own. They used a Kickstarter campaign to help finance regional tours, and secured a national spot on the Rockstar Energy UPROAR Festival by winning their region in the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands. Nearly a decade after their formation, all of their hard work has culminated in a record deal with Imagen Records. Signed by A&R V.P, Morgan Rose (Sevendust), the band has just released The Cracks, a 12-song album that showcases their powerful brand of melodic hard rock.
A number of the songs on the album were featured on 3YH’s most recent self-produced EP, entitled “Remember.” The title track off of the EP, which has been remastered for The Cracks, made a splash last year when it was featured on SiriusXM’s Octane Big ‘Uns Countdown; it was also named one of the Top 52 Hard Rock Songs of 2013.
While the band is in lockstep with their desire to create melodic hard rock, their sound is admittedly derived from a variety of influences ranging from progressive rock to hair metal to pop punk.
In addition to having Morgan Rose in their corner, the album was produced by Rose’s Sevendust counterpart, Clint Lowery.
Jose Urquiza’s powerful, emotional vocal delivery is ideally complemented by a driving rhythm section and impressive dual guitars, including harmonies which, at times, are reminiscent of classic Judas Priest. The album is filled with catchy hooks and big anthemic choruses, but what makes The Cracks stand out is the band’s ability to showcase their diversity with dynamic breaks such as the ones incorporated into one of the best tracks on the album, “Chemical Ride.”
Lyrically, the band strives to connect with the fans by writing from the heart and sharing personal experiences that likely affect others.
The song, “For Life,” Urquiza explains, is about a person who is struggling and feels alone in the world, how they are damaged by personal demons but come out on the other side by standing strong in the face of adversity. “Take The World” also offers a positive message that will resonate with 3YH fans.
3 Years Hollow spent nearly a decade scratching and clawing to avoid falling through “The Cracks” of an unforgiving business that is not nearly as glamorous as it seems from the outside looking in. While many may look at a record deal and recognition from heavy hitters in the hard rock music genre as arriving, 3YH sees this as just the beginning of things to come. If all goes well, the band plans on leveraging the album’s success to play summer rock festivals and other shows around the country.
Based on this collection of songs, there is no doubt that 3 Years Hollow’s sound is tailor-made for live performances. Fans of bands like Sevendust, Disturbed, Nonpoint, Pop Evil and the like, should make it a point to check out these up-and-coming hard rockers.
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