Hollow Leg—Dust and Echoes (2025)

Details

Recorded at High Five Studio, DeLand, Florida. Produced by Hollow Leg. Mixed and mastered by Zeuss. Artwork by Shawn Garrett and Jean Saiz. Released on 13 June 2025 via Third House Communications.

For fans of: Crowbar, Kyuss, Down, Pantera, Alice in Chains

Band

Scott Angelacos – Vocals
Brent Lynch – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Tom Crowther – Bass
John Stewart – Drums, Percussion (including rainsticks)

Tracks

Poison bite (3:41)
Sick days (4:07)
Funeral storms (3:55)
Another day dying (5:01)
Holy water (5:59)
Last tribe (5:21)
Bury our kings (4:53)
Red skies (3:35)
Ride the wave, dig the grave (6:45)

Review

Florida’s Hollow Leg have long been masters of swampy, riff-heavy heaviness – that hazy intersection of sludge, doom, and southern grit. With Dust and Echoes (2025), they’ve not only perfected their sound but broadened it, merging two separate EP sessions into something that feels both raw and refined. The result is a record that trudges, sways, and occasionally soars – a doom-streaked meditation on decay and endurance.

The album begins with “Poison bite” (track 1), a slow, deliberate stomp that feels like it’s dragging itself through the mud, all grit and gravity. It’s simple, almost stubbornly so, setting the tone for what follows: minimal embellishment, just raw feeling wrapped in distortion. The vocals are gruff but tuneful, sitting perfectly in that sweet spot between resignation and defiance.

Then “Sick days” (track 2) shakes off the sludge and picks up a swaggering southern-rock pulse. There’s movement here – the drums kick harder, the guitars find more space to breathe – and a solo that feels like sunlight breaking through the haze. It’s one of those tracks that reminds you Hollow Leg can groove as much as they grind.

“Funeral Storms” (track 3) hits like a dirge caught in a feedback loop. Its riff twists in on itself, mournful and acidic, while the vocals spill over with apocalyptic sorrow. It’s a standout – the kind of song that pulls you under rather than pushes you away, a beautifully desolate moment that lingers long after it ends.

That mood continues into “Another day dying” (track 4), which feels like the emotional cousin to its predecessor. The riffing is tighter, the pacing deliberate, and it all comes together as a steady, head-nodding slab of doom. It’s familiar territory, but Hollow Leg’s command of tone and texture keeps it engaging.

Midway through, “Holy water” (track 5) breaks the spell. It’s dreamy, aquatic – like a tripped-out detour through the band’s subconscious. The phased guitars and gentle percussion evoke “Planet Caravan”-era Sabbath, before it shifts into a galloping groove, vocals layered in eerie harmony. It’s the perfect midpoint: a breather that deepens the atmosphere rather than disrupts it.

With “Last tribe” (track 6), we move into the Echoes half of the record, and the production clarity shines. The low-end thump is still there, but the guitars have more definition, the vocals more presence. There’s a melodic solo here that’s understated but beautiful – proof that simplicity, when handled right, can be profoundly expressive.

“Bury our kings” (track 7) continues that vein, a slow bluesy lament that feels carved from stone. It’s easy to say the songs start to blend, but that’s missing the point – the cohesion is part of the album’s hypnotic charm. Each riff feels like another verse in the same story of struggle and endurance.

Then comes “Red skies” (track 8), and everything brightens slightly. The tempo lifts, the melody bites a little sharper, and for a few minutes it feels almost hopeful – or at least resolute. It’s gruff, groovy, and easily one of the record’s highlights.

The closer, “Ride the wave, dig the grave” (track 9), stretches out to nearly seven minutes, evolving from a choking growl of noise into something transcendent. Its final minutes shimmer with reverb-drenched guitars and ghostly dual vocals, as if the album itself is dissolving into the cosmos. After so much weight and density, it’s a stunning way to close – a sonic exhalation.

Conclusion

Dust and Echoes (2025) is a slow-burning revelation – an album that rewards patience and persistence. At first, it might feel unrelentingly heavy, but the more time you spend inside it, the more its depth reveals itself. These aren’t just riffs; they’re rituals. For me, this record has been a kind of companion through difficult months – its bleakness weirdly comforting, its endurance quietly inspiring.

Review score: 85%

Video

Disclosure

Corinne Westbrook contacted me inviting me to preview Hollow Leg’s forthcoming album – thank you. I have no connections to either Corinne Westbrook or Hollow Leg. I’m not being paid to review this, but I did get a free digital copy of the album to review, which is pretty cool. Many thanks to Corinne Westbrook, and to Hollow Leg for continuing to create fresh, exciting sludge metal.