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Rocksposure.com Artist of the Year - 3 Years Hollow
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Momentum is everything in the music business, and Three Years Hollow is riding a huge wave into 2013...Momentum is everything in the music business, and Three Years Hollow is riding a huge wave into 2013. 2012 brought a fresh batch of killer songs from the Quad Cities rock band thanks to their “Remember” EP which also helped them land quite a bit of time on stage with major rock acts that were making their way through the Midwest (Recognize any of these guys? Papa Roach, Filter, Saliva, 12 Stones, POD, Eye Empire, Janus, Royal Bliss, Chevelle, Buckcherry, Puddle of Mudd, Pop Evil, Black Stone Cherry, and Evans Blue). Impressively they also fought their way onto the Rockstar Uproar Tour’s Chicago bill after winning the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands for their region.
Jose Urquiza, Neil Kuhlman, Dex Digga, Tony Reeves, and Chris Cushman have collectively accomplished a lot as Three Years Hollow this year. The thing is, it isn't just the accolades that get you the Top Crown on Rocksposure.com. It’s also about how hard you worked to get from A to B over the last 365 days. Three Years Hollow set the bar high early and kept pushing it higher as the year went on. They’ve released three stellar music videos in the last year ("Chemical Ride", "Lost", & "Run Away") and played countless shows in both their hometown and other major markets in the region. These guys know what they’ve got to do to increase their fanbase (Known as Hollow Nation), and they’ve made the sacrifices to do it. They aren't just sitting around waiting for it to come to them.
While the band has done amazing things, there are others that have helped them on their journey this year. Hollow Nation has done an incredible job supporting and promoting Three Years Hollow; with their reach and numbers continuing to grow. Also not to be missed would be Three Years Hollow’s road crew and their manager Tom Baumgardner, who is truly one of the best in the business (Never underestimate the impact of a good band manager!). These folks make things run like clock work and allow the guys time to focus on the most important part of the whole equation: their music.
2013 is about to start off as strong , if not stronger than 2012 is wrapping up for Three Years Hollow. They’re hitting the road with Eye Empire in January, then hooking up with Sevendust and Lacuna Coil in February. It will be a fast start to the year in some uncharted parts of the country, but given the amazing body of work they’ve got to play for crowds in these new cities, it’ll be exciting to see what the population of Hollow Nation is this time next year.
Congratulations to Three Years Hollow, Hollow Nation, and everyone that is a part of the Three Years Hollow family. Your Artist of the Year honors are well deserved and undoubtedly only the beginning of something incredible.
Chris Brach
Founder/Webmaster
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Introducing Three Years Hollow
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Happy New Year and all that good stuff! Hope 2013 has been treating you well thus far; it’s only go...Happy New Year and all that good stuff! Hope 2013 has been treating you well thus far; it’s only going to get better!
I got a feeling 2013 is going to be the year that real Rock and Roll makes a come back. What do you guys think? Isn’t it about damn time?!
Well hold tight- I think I have a group that has a sound you have been fiending for…..
I’d been checking out a lot of groups towards the end of 2012, but only one really stuck out to me. I was tweeting around with Twitter and came across a band from one of my followers. What caught my eye was a comment made that the band was Rock-had to chex ‘em out!
The name of the band is Three Years Hollow. I wanted to intro them on the SoundChex a few months ago, but it kinda got away from me. In a way though, it’s good that you meet them now because they are going on their first tour! And trust me; once you hear these guys you will want to buy a ticket.
A Little Background…
Three Years Hollow is a five piece hard rock band hailing from the Quad Cities (IL, IA). Jose Uriquiza (Lead Vocals); Tony Reeves (Guitar); Neil Kulhman (Guitar/Vocals); Dex Digga (Bass/Vocals) and Chris Cushman (Drums) make up the group.
“Three Years Hollow’s debut album ‘Ascension’ has been well received by fans and critics alike. It’s an album that is aggressive on tempos, heavy on guitar riffs, yet well-defined and melodic on vocals. ‘Ascension’ contains fan favorite tracks ‘Wasted’ and ‘The End of Demise’ among others. One can’t help but notice the edge the album has from a lyric perspective.
‘Remember’, the long awaited follow up to ‘Ascension’ was released on March 10, 2012 to a sold out crowd. The recording process for this EP took them to Groovemaster Studios in Chicago, IL to work with Tadpole (Disturbed, Staind, Adelitas Way, Seether) on production and mixing, then on to Brad Blackwood of Euphonic Masters (Adelitas Way, Evanescense, Sick Puppies, Skillet) for mastering. “In the years since Ascension, so much has happened for us personally. Life has happened for us. The subject of Remember has a positive message. It’s hard to write dark, angry songs when you’re so happy about everything” says Jose. With all of these positives, it’s no wonder why the band has been anxious to give the fans a taste of what they’ve been working on. That taste is the first single, ‘Chemical Ride’.” (from threeyearshollow.com)
It was the song “Chemical Ride” that got my attention.
The Music….
When I first heard Chemical Ride, I thought that there was no way in the world this was an indie band from the Midwest. Indie groups have that “unpolished” sound that we all love. Nothing wrong with it; our sound is what sets us a part from the mainstream. But there is absolutely nothing unpolished about these guys.
Chemical Ride speeds toward you, giving you a sensational rush of what is to come. Seriously, right from the beginning of the song you are excited to hear all of it. That is rare for a song these days…..
It is also very important to note that each musician in this group is “Official”- meaning they can play their asses off! And lead singer Jose’s vocals can compete with anybody’s in the game. The guy can sang! As soon as the lyrics begin, you know you are in for one hell of a song…And you would be right.
Not only are the vocals and the instrumentals powerful, but the lyrics these guys provide make Three Years Hollow an official force in the Rock music industry.
Chex out some of the lyrics to Chemical Ride:
“Throw it away this time/This could be the only mistake / i’ll make along the way/ watch it as we go by You’ve taken all those years and things that we made / For one last ride / Listen
Give in to me and tell me I’m right / I wanna be your chemical ride / and how I love / The things you say to me
Wake up / Go live your life / Ill be the best on this ride / And how I love the way / You breathe “ (from Chemical Ride, by Three Years Hollow)
2012 was amazing for the group, and it looks like 2013 is going to be even better. Not only is the group going on it’s first ever tour in 2013, but they are also experiencing some major air play on mainstream radio. I see nothing but good things for this group. I just hope the tour brings them by my neck of the woods!
Maybe they’ll do a ChexN with me one day…..that would be epic!
To listen to their music, find out about the tour, and to learn more about the group, visit their website 3YearsHollow and visit their FB page. They are always updating their Facebook. And you can also find them on a host of other social media, including Twitter.
Make sure you guys check Three Years Hollow out. If you love Rock, you will definitely love these guys.
Until next time!
Steen
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Album Review - Ascension
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There’s a brand of rock for every taste, but if I had to pick my poison, I’ve always gravitated towa...There’s a brand of rock for every taste, but if I had to pick my poison, I’ve always gravitated towards a heavy, driving, edgy rock song more than any other. If it’s loud with a dash of frantic or angry pace to it, then sign me up, I’m interested. The guys from 3 Years Hollow subscribe to the same rock preference, and they successfully modeled their sound to fall in line accordingly.
Hailing from the Quad Cities, 3 Years Hollow channeled their respective rock influences to create what they call an ‘aggressive, heavy, yet mainstream sound’. Inspired by the driving riffs of Sevendust & Disturbed, the rhythm of Incubus & Rush, and the melodic vocals of Breaking Benjamin and Fuel, the band draws their sound from a number of modern rock bands that have successfully found their way to Rock glory. While they are currently in the studio putting the final touches on a new EP, they sent over a copy of the 2009 release “Ascension” along with a few previews of what is to come on the new album.
“Ascension” is a fantastic hard rock album that ends just as heavy on the last note as it starts on the first. The energy packed title track opens the album with a taunting guitar riff that quickly builds into a more aggressive one as the drums begin their assault on the song. What is immediately clear is just how clean 3 Years Hollow plays on this well produced album. While the music throughout is fast paced and at times forceful, at no point is the instrumental or vocal delivery ever overly done. From a technical standpoint, these guys are remarkably clean given the style of music that they’re playing. With bands in this genre, it’s not uncommon to find an unnecessary guitar solo or overly zealous scream to amp up the music. Not the case with 3 Years Hollow, they have mastered the style of what I like to call ‘controlled aggression’. Every ounce of energy is there and it’s delivered in a fashion that doesn’t leave you with that awkward “They shouldn’t have done that” feeling immediately after hearing an over the top element of the song. You simply won’t find anything of the sort on ‘Ascension”
3 Years Hollow does turn down the heavy meter a little bit on “Angels” and “Still Waiting”, but they are still more than cohesive with the rest of the record. These are far from ballads, but definitely show some nice depth from the band. The slower pace also compliments the vocal work on the album by Jose Urquiza as it exhibits some versatility from the other tracks.
The tempo gets kicked up a few notches on “Skin”, “The End of Demise”, and “Make Yourself” which helps show off some astoundingly clean drums from Chris Cushman in the process. The lead and rhythm guitar work of on the album is well balanced and the two tend to play off of each other quite well, especially on the finale “Face Off” which wraps up the album with an ominous, daunting tone.
While I would have been happy to spin “Ascension” for the rest of the Summer, the band was kind enough to send over two demos from their EP (due out this Fall) to give us a sense for where they’re heading. The first track we were allowed to preview was “We Remember”, a track that is downright packed with guitars. It embodies the clean sound of the tracks on their previous album, but it’s definitely a step above it in terms of the amount of intricacy of the guitarwork. In particular, there is a spectacular, face melting solo ¾ of the way through the song. As Urquiza screams “How will you be remembered?”, I know that what I’ll remember about this track is the fantastic guitars of Neil Kulhman and Tony Reeves. The second track we were given a sneak peak at was “Before it Begins”. This song definitely has more of a mainstream sound than “We Remember” and the tracks on “Ascension”. Dex Digga’s bass dominates the song as they work in some harmonized/background vocals that truly differentiate this track from the rest of the catalog. It’s slightly different, but it is still every bit 3 Years Hollow.
With these tracks giving us a glimpse of where they’re heading with the new album, it's easy to say that Fall can’t get here fast enough for 3 Years Hollow fans.
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Ascension In Progress
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Ascension in Progress
Story by Michelle Garrison
Rock Island Nu-Metal band Three Years Hollow gr...Ascension in Progress
Story by Michelle Garrison
Rock Island Nu-Metal band Three Years Hollow grows its fan base with precise shows and a consistent sound.
Heavy-hitting drums synchronize with driving, crunchy bass and rhythm guitar for dark instrumental breaks. Lead guitar intertwines with melodic vocals during the verses and choruses. Catchy, yet gruff, choruses round out the songs. These diverse approaches blend with smooth, yet sudden, transitions, leading to a fast-paced and ever-changing wall of sound.
Three Years Hollow, consisting of members Jose Urquiza, Tony Reeves, Luke Sears, Chris Cushman, Dex Digga, has been rocking with its current lineup in 2008, although Reeves and Urquiza had been playing and writing together for eight years. Since then, they have garnered a respectable fan base, including close to 200,000 Myspace views and crowds as large as 3,000.
Although they’ve played large shows with big-name headliners such as Chevelle, Buckcherry, and Taproot, the band says it can’t beat its faithful hometown crowd. “To be very honest with you, our hometown crowd still takes the win. The crowd at RIBCO on Sep. 11th was amazing. It was the first time I could hear the crowd singing over my monitors. Our home town fans are the ones that really show us why we do this,” says Urquiza.
Impressively, the band has managed to gain their following primarily through these local shows. 3YH has relied on Internet promotion, word-of-mouth, and the quality of their music to spread their fame. “We have never been the band that’s going to just up and leave. Some years ago, that was the way to do it, but with the Internet, and the fact that big labels just aren’t looking for you anymore, it makes it hard,” Urquiza said. “The time will come when being on the road is a necessary step for 3YH, we just haven’t been presented with that opportunity yet.”
Despite not yet being much of a touring band, Three Years Hollow strives to make their local and regional shows as tight as possible. Digga reports that this is something their fans have confirmed, “Most people say that we sound better live than our album. That is something that fans appreciate these days. They don’t want to hear an overproduced album then check out a show only to be disappointed.”
In addition to live shows, their 2009 release, Ascension, has helped fuel their success. Entirely self-produced, and recorded at Real Trax Recording in Davenport, the songwriting draws from the members’ diverse tastes, ranging from early 60’s music to contemporary metal and alternative rock. The group specifically cites bands such as Metallica, 40 Below Summer, Dream Theater, and Killswitch Engage as major influences, but strives for variety to appeal to a spectrum of listeners. “We all have different tastes and when we combine them it gives us something unique. We like to think there is something for everyone with us,” explains Reeves.
Listeners can hear the strong influence of such bands in Ascension. The vocals are reminiscent of bands such as Godsmack or Disturbed, in the way in which Urquiza remains mostly melodic, yet spices the heavy moments with a more gravelly voice. The instrumentals contain driving rhythmic verses, in the vein of Slipknot or 40 Below Summer, but switch to a lighter sound during choruses, showing screamo and metal influences similar to Senses Fail or Bullet For My Valentine.
Although talking influence from other nu metal acts, the band takes pride in their autonomy. “We’ve had the chance to work with a couple of major producers but we enjoy handling the entire process ourselves.” The addition of the new members to the lineup in recent years has also freshened up their song-writing process, as Reeves explains, “The Ascension album was primarily written by myself and Jose. It usually started with a demo that I would have, and Jose would finish, or vice-versa. As the songs were worked out, everyone would add their pieces. Luke is the perfect complement to my guitar style, as well as vocally with Jose. Chris is a phenomenal drummer and has been playing with Dex for a long time, so their rhythm section is truly top notch. Having everyone add their pieces…is going to help us continue to branch out.”
It appears that this strategy has worked, for the album has attained viral success. Ascension broke the top 10 in the hard-rock genre on the music sites Ourstage.com and Garageband.com. Urquiza speculates on why the album has resonated with so many people, “The greatest accomplishment that I think we’ve had is creating an album that people seem to enjoy over and over. If they tire of it for 2 months, they always tell us they pop it back in and its fresh again.”
This freshness comes from Three Years Hollow’s ability to create diverse songs while staying in the nu-metal genre. Songs like “The End of Demise” contain the double-bass and growly vocals evocative of the darker side of the genre, while “Wasted” features precise, syncopated rhythm guitars aligned with drum hits that produce grooves that defy the listener to not nod along. In contrast, “Still Waiting” changes the tone with sparse drums, a simple soaring guitar melody, and acoustic guitar in the verses, attaining a still-rocking, but sensitive, sound.
The group hopes to expand their success as they work on their new album, for which they’ve already recorded two songs. “We can’t wait to release the first promo single to our fans,” the band explains. “We are super excited about the material and the sound. We definitely aren’t rushing anything, though – we feel our fans deserve the best.”
“My personal goal for this next album is to write music that hits closer to home with more people,” says Sears. “(We want to) draw more people into the lyrics
and take them on a journey through our music. (We want to) write songs that show who we are as a band and as individuals, and relate on a personal level with our fans. To write what we enjoy and love is the key because, all-in-all, that is why we do this.”
Songs by Three Years Hollow can be purchased on iTunes or CDBaby.
Streaming media, booking, and more information can be found on: ThreeYearsHollow.com
Facebook.com/threeyearshollow
Myspace.com/hollowqc
Twitter.com/3yearshollow
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"Wasted" Voted #1
"Wasted" voted #1 on Mike Cameo's Indies Hard Rock top 10.
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Hard Rock Heaven
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"From the moment Make Yourself began, I found myself in hard rock heaven! The guitar riffs possess o..."From the moment Make Yourself began, I found myself in hard rock heaven! The guitar riffs possess outstanding power and emotion, which is complimented nicely by the hard-hitting drums and pounding bass. I give you guys extra points for your chorus; it's one of the most heartfelt I've heard on Garageband.com. Keep up the good work and I look forward to hearing more from you guys in the future! "— Garageband.com
supersonic
