HOLLOW EARTH Out of Atlantis

[spacefreak]

Easily among the best retro albums of 2017 (with WOBBLER of course). A proto-proggers wet dream. Enjoy!

https://hollowearth.bandcamp.com

[Supersonic Scientist]

Foshizzle!!!!

Just listened to their entire album....Frillin' amazing....Never heard of them before. Must purchase...LOVE the Hammond organ / Acoustic GTR interweaving.


(and, yes, the new Wobbler is just SAINTLY!!..easily the best of 2017 IMHO)

[miamiscot]

Never heard of 'em. Heading to their bandcamp page now to investigate. (Yeah, the Wobbler comparison got me...)

[spacefreak]

(Yeah, the Wobbler comparison got me...)

They sound nothing like Wobbler (Hollow Earth are rather in the early Purple meeting early Floyd vein) but the album is equally good!

[progmeister]

Easily among the best retro albums of 2017 (with WOBBLER of course). A proto-proggers wet dream. Enjoy!

https://hollowearth.bandcamp.com

Thanks for the tip Spacefreak. Purchased!

[Mascodagama]

Sticking to my usual rule that I don't like retro-prog except when I do: I like it. Fun record.

[Vic333]

Well, with a name like Hollow Earth, I will have to check this out.

[miamiscot]

Well, with a name like Hollow Earth, I will have to check this out.

Right? My thoughts as well. Excellent name!!! How bad could they be?

[Plasmatopia]

This is pretty good stuff!

[Yves]

Great album! One of my favorites from this year!

Heard the new Wobbler and it was hit and miss for me. Just a tad too much vocals on certain tracks... Preferred the new Agusa!

[Scrotum Scissor]

They sound nothing like Wobbler (Hollow Earth are rather in the early Purple meeting early Floyd vein) but the album is equally good!

This one reminded me somewhat a bit of Brazilian band Parafernalia, who released an excellent debut back in 2011 on which they fused Purple/Sabbath/Budgie (etc.) with old-school prog from their own country (Som Nosso de Cada Dia, Mutantes, Terreno Baldio) - only that Hollow Earth make the same moves toward their own country's past.

Good stuff for sure.

[interbellum]

In one track there's a Moog (or Theremin?) theme which reminded me of the intro of the song "Return To Fantasy" from Uriah Heep.
I'll keep this one in mind.

[ThomasKDye]

I was hooked at the first listen.

"Incantation" just screams "PLEASE PLEASE LET ME BE ON 'SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS' PLEASE PLEASE"

[Zappathustra]

A good friend is introducing it here, another one distributes the vinyl...and yet this doesn't resonate with me. It's the same feeling as with Agusa, too much calculation on the "how" of music, but not enough - and not rich enough - original ideas. And I wouldn't be commenting if not to express my attitude towards this kind of "retro" rock music. It's not enough to reproduce masterfully the sound and the atmosphere of the era, and it's not about chops: you have to bring your own ideas on the table, and somehow sound contemporary. Compare this to Mouth's Vortex, that Spyros also suggested, or Wucan's Reap the Storm to understand my point. You have to raise the level of energy and come up with your own ideas if you want to distinguish yourself from the heap of bands.
But of course this is all completely subjective, and possibly more based on a gut feeling than anything else.

[spacefreak]

In one track there's a Moog (or Theremin?) theme which reminded me of the intro of the song "Return To Fantasy" from Uriah Heep.
I'll keep this one in mind.

Mini moog, exactly like in Uriah Heep. Well, Beautiful Dream came instantly in my mind and yes, it's from "Return To Fantasy"

[Yves]

A good friend is introducing it here, another one distributes the vinyl...and yet this doesn't resonate with me. It's the same feeling as with Agusa, too much calculation on the "how" of music, but not enough - and not rich enough - original ideas. And I wouldn't be commenting if not to express my attitude towards this kind of "retro" rock music. It's not enough to reproduce masterfully the sound and the atmosphere of the era, and it's not about chops: you have to bring your own ideas on the table, and somehow sound contemporary. Compare this to Mouth's Vortex, that Spyros also suggested, or Wucan's Reap the Storm to understand my point. You have to raise the level of energy and come up with your own ideas if you want to distinguish yourself from the heap of bands.
But of course this is all completely subjective, and possibly more based on a gut feeling than anything else.

I guess it depends on just how much derivativeness one can stomach. Me, I have no problems embracing a lot of the retro rock movement, despite the shortcomings you point out because they don't bother me as much as they seem to bother you.. I guess I draw the line at bands that are trying too hard to be Zeppelin (Blues Pills, Graveyard...). But your point is well articulated and valid.

[interbellum]

Mini moog, exactly like in Uriah Heep. Well, Beautiful Dream came instantly in my mind and yes, it's from "Return To Fantasy"

Yeah, Beautiful Dream is also in the same vein. Although not a UH-fan I love this album quite a lot. Bought it on release when I was 15.

I hesitated about the instrument, because the Bandcamp-site only mentions an organ as keyboard, but after listening to some tracks you can tell there are a lot more instruments involved.
Just ordered it from https://www.platomania.nl/ the website from Amsterdam's Concerto-shop.

[Zappathustra]

I guess it depends on just how much derivativeness one can stomach. Me, I have no problems embracing a lot of the retro rock movement, despite the shortcomings you point out because they don't bother me as much as they seem to bother you.. I guess I draw the line at bands that are trying too hard to be Zeppelin (Blues Pills, Graveyard...). But your point is well articulated and valid.

I don't mind either, all I am saying is that at the bottom line quality of ideas is all that matters. Take Wobbler, for instance. They clearly reproduce the 70's sound, but the huge riff on Fermented Hours for example is completely their own. And how hard must it be to come up with an original guitar riff after half a century of rock music.

[mogilevs]

Basing on this video, some people guess that the band consists of Matti Bye, Kristian Holmgren and Mattias Olsson.

[spacefreak]

Basing on this video, some people guess that the band consists of Matti Bye, Kristian Holmgren and Mattias Olsson.

In other words almost all Walrus...

[LASERCD]

CD and vinyl now in stock

https://www.lasercd.com/cd/out-atlantis

[JKL2000]

^ Hmm, as Ken's description hints, Rod Handel COULD be Mattias Olsson, since Mattias' studio is called Roth Handle...

And Rod plays drums! But he sounds like he must have a huge mustache...

[interbellum]

I hesitated about the instrument, because the Bandcamp-site only mentions an organ as keyboard, but after listening to some tracks you can tell there are a lot more instruments involved.
Just ordered it from https://www.platomania.nl/ the website from Amsterdam's Concerto-shop.

The Bandcamp-site has changed the keyboard used into:

CRISTÓBAL NEMO — B3 and L100 Hammond Organs, Wurlitzer Piano, Grand Piano, Mellotron, Modular Synthesizer, Ribbon Synthesizer, Spinet, Vibraphone, Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Percussion & Vocals

And, not on the cover of the CD:

Additional electric and acoustic guitar by R. PESCADOR ("Pescador" is also the producer.)

Strings on Electric Eden by the QUINTETTE TERRE CREUSE

B.t.w. Platomania (Concerto) cancelled my order because the distributor couldn't deliver it.
No problems however with Beyond Rock!

Lovely album. Very retro of course, but done with so much care, knowledge and great composing capacity.

This remark on New Prog Releases is funny:

The members of Hollow Earth belong to a secretive cult, and are thus unable to give away their true identities. What they can do, however, is to play rock music in the vein of Deep Purple, Pink Floyd and King Crimson. This is stated to be the release of the year from Kommun2 and easily the most ambitious album ever released by the label.

The CD was released by another label, Sound-Effect Records from Greece.

[interbellum]

And here's some information on Ernst Haeckel, who's work has been used for the cover: https://www.theguardian.com/books/ga...on-in-pictures

[TheH]

Good stuff, goes straight to the shopping list, thanks!