In November 2021, Hollowmind made their highly anticipated return with the EP Inside An Extended Play , released via Wikimetal Music . The project is an intense 27-minute journey that includes 4 unreleased tracks and the single version of " The Social Meteor ".
With great professionalism and honesty, Hollowmind composes a work in which the songs are connected by a common theme: the reorganization of society in a pandemic world. Touching on themes such as isolation, mental health, political chaos, and postponed plans, the veterans of Brazilian heavy metal deliver a quality project that serves as a powerful outpouring of emotion about the current times we live in.
In an interview with Wikimetal , bassist and vocalist Rob Gutierrez talks about using music as a true "escape valve" in recent years. Living in Ireland, he started composing on his own until he noticed that some of what he was writing sounded like Hollowmind. He then contacted his bandmates, Felipe Gomes – who was in the United States – and Ale Silveira , who is in Brazil. Thus, Inside An Extended Play : in pandemic-era format and remotely.
“We felt there wasn’t much we could talk about other than the moment we were living through, so it ends up being a kind of venting, right? Because I think it was a difficult period for everyone. For each person in a different way, but it was difficult for everyone. So, for me, as a composer, it was impossible to talk about anything else,” says Rob.
Among the tracks on the EP are the singles “ The Social Meteor ” and “ The Divide ,” but one of the most interesting compositions is the powerful “State of Unfairs,” which speaks pessimistically about the sociopolitical situation in Brazil, opening with a powerful verse that says [free translation]: “ I know a place where tomorrow has died / Abandon hope, you who are in there / It’s every man for himself .”
One of the lines references the famous inscription found at the gates of Hell Dante Alighieri work, The Divine Comedy : "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." In an interview with Wikimetal , Rob explains that "State of Unfairs" refers to Brazil, while the following track, "Hibernia," refers to Ireland. Even from afar, he affirms that he closely follows the Brazilian political situation through friends and family.
“It’s really very sad. I’m very disappointed and I think the situation in Brazil today is very depressing. 'State of Unfairs' talks about leaders in general, but obviously it talks about Brazil,” he says. “I think there’s a great deal of frustration with the actions that have been taking place in Brazil; I think the country has never been in such a bad state in so many aspects, and this is obviously due to the horrible leadership we have today.”
Despite having hope for better days, Rob also analyzes the current Brazilian scenario with a critical eye. “I think we have fewer and fewer reasons to be hopeful because it seems we've entered a very complicated spiral. In terms of everything—health, economy, respect… In terms of society, I think we've never been as bad off as we are today,” he concludes.
In addition to the political, economic, and humanitarian difficulties in our country, Gutierrez also talks about another field that struggles to sustain itself: heavy metal. On the road with Hollowmind since 1993, he says that one of the biggest difficulties in these 30 years of his career has been finding space to play live, emphasizing that three decades ago the country had "more support and structure" for new bands with original proposals.
“I don’t want to criticize choices or anything, but it’s obvious that over time we’ve seen very clearly that it’s much easier to play live if you have a cover band. And that’s fine. I also like to sometimes go to a cover band show and enjoy it. Everything’s great, but at the same time it’s sad to see that many talented bands don’t have space to showcase their music, right? And I think it’s live that a deeper connection with the fan happens,” he says.
“The chance that a heavy metal band in Brazil has to support itself without necessarily having other professions is almost zero,” he continues. “I think very few Brazilian bands actually manage to stay afloat. You can practically count them on the fingers of one hand. It’s great that there are still large bands with structure, but they are very few. I think the fact that you can’t make music a solid profession in Brazil, especially in heavy metal, is a bit discouraging.”
As a way to keep Inside an Extended Play alive and renewing itself, Rob Gutierrez reveals that the band plans to release new versions of each song on the EP featuring collaborations. Two possible names that would be invited to participate in the project are the Brazilian band Remove Silence and Felipe Machado , from VIPER , who inspired the idea in Rob through his remix album. “I think that from the moment another artist revisits the music and it continues to sound interesting, even in a different way, that says something about the composition. So we are very proud,” he states.
Closing the conversation, the Hollowmind vocalist sends one last message to heavy metal fans: “I think there’s a very overused phrase, but one that I believe is very true… I think it was Nietzsche who said that life without music would be a mistake. So, especially in these dark times, listen to a lot of music. It’s good for the soul.”
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