Hollow will not leave you empty!
Ed Lohrer e3_prog | Pittsburgh, PA | 10/09/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Modern Progressive Rock" is the tag that most reviewers seem to be applying to this band/release, but don't let the word "progressive" scare you away ... this release by Little Atlas ROCKS!!!
Steve Katsikas' lyrics on Hollow are outstanding, intelligently written and thought provoking, and he delivers the vocals with the right amount of emotion for each piece, as the songs are kinda connected(concept)pertaining to 10 different character studies told from the first-person perspective.
The musicianship is tight, and the music shifts from pastoral to heavy with lightning quick precision. All of the musicians are firing on all cylinders, but Steve K.'s vintage keys/piano, and Rod Strattman's guitar work are what really wows me on this CD.
Little Atlas keeps maturing with every release, starting with their debut "Surface Serene" then 2005's "Wanderlust", and now with the excellent "Hollow". With Hollow they've firmly established themselves in not just the "progressive" rock scene, but in "rock" music in general.
10 out of 10!
"
Psycho-good
RHR3 | Rockford, IL USA | 03/03/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Little Atlas may be the best band you never heard of. I call this CD psycho-good its songs represent 10 different psychological states. Musically, I love the fact that there are so many ideas in the songs; which is typical of all of Little Atlas' music. They don't utilize a great number of musical instruments, but they do a lot with the ones they use (the usual rock instruments: guitar, bass, drums and synth, with some sax thrown in occasionally). They also use unpredictable chord progressions, but without compromising the natural tension and release that pushes music forward. Melodies are innovative, yet accessible. As you would imagine from the subject matter, the music shifts through lots of moods: high energy, low energy, jazzy, hard rock, keyboardy... a great potpourri of ideas, dynamics and time signatures. I would also strongly recommend one of their earlier releases "Surface Serene," though the songs are more abrupt in their moods shifts, causing some to say that the songs aren't as mature as those of this recording. One disclaimer: If you've never heard the band before, Steve Katsikas' voice may take a little getting used to. It is not bad and is not at all out of tune, but it has a rough, edgy, kind of Axel Rose quality. That said, I highly recommend this CD."
What an excellent trip!
D. Means | Yorktown, VA USA | 06/30/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is simply amazing! Every song on it is a gem! The songwriting, the musician-man-ship, and the singing are some of the best that this genre has to offer.
After getting this, I loved it so much I got all of their other albums. They are all excellent and all highly recommended, but this one is my favorite.
If you are into Prog-Rock, this is an absolute must have!
"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1