Bitter Grounds is a Dutch band that likes to mix things up on “Hollowlands”, their debut full-length which is out now on Ring Of Fire Records, NextPunk Records and Granola Records. On it, they jump from punk to ska in a heartbeat, and throw in some reggae along the way just for the hell of it.
While there really isn’t anything bad to say about songs like the Rancid-esque “Human Touch” or the melodic punk of “Life Of Violence”, I would like to hear them switch gears within the same song as well. Now it’s either one or the other, which definitely isn’t bad, but it makes for a less cohesive album. They also still wear their influences on their sleeves, maybe a bit too much. But seeing as they only got together just last year, it’s also completely understandable.
In short, “Hollowlands” is a decent album that shows a band with more than enough skills, but also a band still looking for a sound that is all their own. Seeing as they managed to crank out a full-length with some solid tuneage in less than a year, I’m sure they will get there soon enough.
Track listing:
- Hollowlands
- Struck Out
- Tell Me Now
- Life of Violence
- Human Touch
- Patience
- Pressure
- Fine, Alright
- Dead in my Head
- Breakdown
- Trouble
