HALLOWED HEARTS - Masquerade

Review by Chris Magdalenski

I’m ushered into a grand anteroom. Walls of sonic construction shaped from a boundless shimmering reverb coalesce around me as the first notes, an ethereal dirge arpeggiated, draw me deeper inside. As if I need further invitation, a lone guitar calls out across the soul-strewn soundscape. I follow its epic cries across the threshold….  

This is The Entrance, the concise opener to New York-based darkwave duo Hallowed Hearts' second full-length release, Masquerade. At one minute and twenty-four seconds, it’s safe to say that I am optimistic about experiencing the rest of the album.

Track two, the first full-length of the album, is titled Open Your Eyes, and it does not disappoint. Buzzsaw guitars wrapped in spectral ambiance and buoyed by a swift lock-step beat are paired with a pulsing synth. The music is pure goth darkness—razor sharp and imbued with an urgency that makes me want to drape myself in black and head out to the club.

Alex Virlios’ vocals draw parallels to Depeche Mode, his stygian delivery expanding luxuriously inside the mix with the help of just the right amount of reverb and echo. He’s joined by Andrew Sega’s guitar and synth lines, which offer metal-fueled hooks adorned with a gothic grandiosity that is meted out at just the right times.

It’s these hooks the band excels at. There’s an undeniable catchiness to most of the tracks on the album, with songs such as Crash and Burn, Masquerade and Last Chancebeing the standouts to my ears. Upon every listen I found myself vibing along with the music, easily picturing it playing well to packed clubs and beyond. Having listened to it from beginning to end a few times, I don’t feel there is a weak offering on the ten-track album. 

Musically the pair are no doubt comfortable in the goth/postpunk genes. Their first album, 2020’s Into the Fire skillfully utilizes the same darkwave elements to great effect, though Masquerade feels slightly more polished. Everything on their latest feels lusher and more expansive, while still holding on to the raw dark energy they brought to the scene with their first offering.

I am definitely looking forward to hearing more from Hallowed Hearts in the days to come.

For more Hallowed Hearts, visit https://hallowedhearts.bandcamp.com