Independent metal act All Hail The Yeti is counting down the days to the release of its latest studio recording, its new EP, Within The Hollow Earth. The seven-song record is scheduled for release Friday through Minus Head Records and will come more than three years after the release of the group’s then latest album, Highway Crosses. The record has already produced two singles – ‘Bury Your Memory’ and ‘Headlesss Valley’ – and as much as they are a positive representation of the record, they are not the record’s only high points. ‘Nidavellir,’ the record’s midpoint, stands on its own merits. It will be discussed shortly. Much the same can be said of its follow-up, ‘Cold Dead Leaves.’ This song will be examined a little later. ‘Funeral Heart’ is another intense musical and lyrical presentation that adds to the EP’s appeal. It will also be discussed later. All three songs noted here are important in their own way to the whole of the EP. When they are considered alongside the record’s singles and two remaining songs, the whole makes Within The Hollow Earth a welcome new return for All Hail The Yeti.
All Hail The Yeti’s forthcoming EP, Within The Hollow Earth, is a powerful new presentation from the independent metal outfit. It is a presentation that was well worth the wait. Its musical and lyrical content alike does well to support these statements, as its two singles have already shown. They are not the EP’s only standout entries. ‘Nidavellir,’ which serves as the record’s midpoint, is another notable addition to the EP. The song’s appeal comes in part through its musical arrangement, which is a rich, thick, guitar-driven work. Listening to the song in terms of not just its arrangement, but also its related production, the arrangement lends itself to comparison to works from Dry Kill Logic in the verses. The intro meanwhile and maintained guitar line is something of a throwback to the metal sounds of Pantera from the 90s what with its heavy, crunching attack. The heavy, melodic sounds of the song’s choruses meanwhile are more radio friendly, interestingly enough. The clear contrast in sounds here makes the arrangement its own unique presentation and reason enough to get audiences listening. The intensity in the song’s musical arrangement pairs well with its lyrical counterpart to add to the song’s impact.
The lyrical theme featured in ‘Nidavellir’ is accessible to most audiences. It comes across as someone addressing his/her frustration with another over having been wronged multiple times over whatever course of time. This is inferred as front man Connor Garritty states in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Your words were false and I fell for your lies/Cause we were doomed from the start/I gave you everything/And in return you burned it all down to the ground/You’re feeling the earth collapsing/The world is spinning around your head/Another star is fading/Another life burns away again” The chorus seems to hint that maybe that antagonist is feeling the guilt of what he/she has done. That would account for the note of that person “feeling the earth collapsing.” The song’s subject remains defiant even in the face of what has happened, declaring that he/s he will not let what has happened weigh him/her down emotionally. This as Garritty states, “These wounds will heal/And I will overcome/’Cause I have been broken before/You took my heart and soul/And now I stand above all the pain that you caused.”
He continues in similar fashion from here in the pre-chorus, essentially calling out that other person, stating in part, “Now that we’re reaching the end/What gave you the reason to forfeit/The only thing I regret/You’re reaching for hope with your hands tied up.” This seems to be the song’s subject, again, calling out that antagonist, basically asking that person, “Why do you think you have that right to just give up? Now you’re trying even though you are the one who gave up.” This is all this critic’s interpretation. If in fact it is somewhere close to being correct, then it is a unique way, lyrically and musically to approach such a familiar topic, that of a broken relationship (which could be platonic or romantic). The whole of the unique delivery and the intensity in the song’s arrangement makes clear why this song is as important to Within The Hollow Earth as the record’s singles and other songs. Speaking of those other songs, another notable addition to the EP is ‘Cold Dead Leaves.’
‘Cold Dead Leaves’ is even more intense than ‘Nidavellir’ musically and lyrically. The Pantera influence noted about the musical arrangement in ‘Nidavellir’ is just as present in this song’s arrangement. At the same time that said influence is so evident, those heavy, melodic choruses once again make for such a strong contrast to the power in the verses. The energy in the whole is picked up in comparison to that in ‘Nidavellir,’ though. When the intensity in the song’s arrangement pairs with its even more intense lyrical theme, the whole becomes even more impacting. In the case of this song’s theme, this is someone who is just completely unapologetic to someone who must not have been a great person.
The noted inference comes right from the song’s lead verse and chorus, in which Garritty screams/sings, “When you’re rotting in the ground/I will stand above/When there’s no body found/I will dance under the trees/While the maggots are feasting in hell/I can taste the sweat on my face/You’re suffering from what I can tell/Can you feel my loving disgrace/Cover your eyes/And whisper alone to the dead.” The anger continues in the song’s second verse as Garritty states, “Buried deep and close to me/Under cold dead leaves/Now your world is falling down/To the earth and the trees/Broken crown dead to me/As above so below/Leave your memory in the ground.” His further statement of being “revenge like a knife” and that “I am here to take your life” is pretty intense, too. Simply put, the statement here is of someone who just absolutely seems to hate someone else. We have all been there, too. If in fact that is what is happening here, then that fact makes the subject’s statements that much more relatable and intense. It would make the song’s lyrical content that much more impacting. And that impact, together with the song’s musical arrangement, makes even clearer why the song is another standout addition to the EP, showing even more, the record’s strengths. It is just one more of the record’s notable works, too. ‘Funeral Heart’ is yet another strong addition to the EP.
‘Funeral Heart’ is perhaps the album’s most intense song. Gone are the Pantera influences noted in the other songs. In this case, the song’s arrangement is more of a groove metal style work. Listeners could argue that there is a touch of Slipknot influence in the guitars and bass. At the same time, audiences can also argue a slight similarity to works from Machine Head and Pro-Pain. To that end, it really makes the arrangement stand out among its counterparts in this record, showing its own identity separate from those works.
When the song’s intense musical arrangement is considered alongside its lyrical theme, the whole makes the song even more intense. The lyrical theme featured here comes across as presenting another emotionally heavy statement. Again it seems to be the kind of work that is an indictment of sorts of someone who has done nothing positive in life for himself/herself and others. This is inferred right from the song’s lead verse in which Garritty screams/sings, “A spitting image like the rest of your kin/Your mother broke you Before you could begin to win/Feelings and people/They change/The rotten aples fall close to the tree/Relive this cycle of abuse and shame/Drowning your reality is a poisonous game/Couldn’t wait to see you go/I’ll be saved/You’re a demon with a heart so cold/By your grave/You broke me/You woke me/Couldn’t wait to see you go.” The noted indictment continues further in the song’s second verse, which states, “Now you’re swimming in a sea of regret/You showed me nothing but hatred and disrespect/I would have given everything to you/You bled me dry because/Because it’s all that you knew.” Garritty adds in the song’s third and final verse, “Nothing left to say/Digging your own grave/Wake up/Choking on the taste/I’m broken/Love has been a waste/Digging your own grave.” Again, this is a very blatant statement of anger and hatred towards someone who has done the song’s subject great wrong. At the same time, the added note of that behavior being the result of that other person’s upbringing adds its own interest to the whole. This is, overall, another statement to which plenty of audiences will relate. The fire in the song’s arrangement adds even more to that ability of the song to connect with audiences, too. All in all, it will serve as its own therapeutic work for plenty of listeners. Keeping that in mind, it is yet another powerful example of what makes Within The Hollow Earth in whole such a strong new offering from All Hail The Yeti. When this song and the others examined here are considered along with the EP’s singles and its two remaining songs, the whole makes the EP another successful offering from the up-and-coming metal outfit and potentially one of the year’s top new EPs.
All Hail the Yeti’s new, forthcoming EP, Within The Hollow Earth, is a presentation that metal purists and the band’s established audiences will agree is a successful new offering from the band. That is proven through the record’s musical arrangements and lyrical themes. All three of the songs examined here do well to support the noted statements. When they are considered along with the record’s singles and two remaining songs, the whole makes the record a welcome return from All Hail The Yeti that any metal fan will appreciate.
Within The Hollow Earth is scheduled for release Friday through Minus Head Records. The band is in the midst of a tour in support of the EP. The band’s current schedule is noted below.
ALL HAIL THE YETI Tour Dates with Jinjer and Suicide Silence
11/09 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
11/10 – Ft. Wayne, IN – The Clyde
11/11 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave II
11/13 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
11/16 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
11/17 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall
11/18 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix
11/19 – Montreal, QC – M Telus
11/20 – New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place
11/21 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live
11/23 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
11/24 – Philadelphia, PA – TLA
11/26 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva
11/27 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Sound Stage
11/28 – Charlotte, NC – Underground
11/30 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
12/01 – Tampa, FL – Jannus
12/02 – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl
12/03 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theater
12/04 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl
12/05 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
12/07 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
12/08 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theater
12/09 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
12/11 – Albuquerque, NM – El Rey Theater
12/12 – Phoenix, AZ – The Pressroom
More information on All Hail The Yeti’s new song, management company, lineup and more is available online along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: https://www.allhailtheyeti.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialallhailtheyeti
Twitter: https://twitter.com/allhailtheyeti
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