Holloway began writing and recording their debut album at Seaway Sound Studios in Muskegon, MI in late 2007. After a grueling amount of time and toil, sessions finally came to a conclusion in the early winter of 2008. The resulting record - “Illusions” - is a powerhouse of modern rock, mixing progressive metal elements with more tangible pop arrangements and vocals.
Holloway began writing and recording their debut album at Seaway Sound Studios in Muskegon, MI in late 2007. After a grueling amount of time and toil, sessions finally came to a conclusion in the early winter of 2008. The resulting record - “Illusions” - is a powerhouse of modern rock, mixing progressive metal elements with more tangible pop arrangements and vocals.
The new album was recorded and performed by Ross Morgan (guitars, vocals, drums), Josh Morgan (bass guitar, programming), and Shawn Julien (guitars), with a few special guest players, including Per Bergqvuist from Swedish metal act Closer. The album was then sent to Fascination Street Studios in Orebro lan, Sweden to be mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren, the metal guru behind bands like Opeth, Soilwork, and Katatonia.
The group then sought out the help of world-renowned painter Susan Van Sant to complete the bands vision artistically. She, with help of Morgan, created the artwork seen on the album, as well as an 11 page Lyric Book featuring an original painting inspired by each song on the record, which can be downloaded free from the bands website.
Officially released on March 17th, 2009, “Illusions” is a debut record that sets the bar high. Quintin Q5, of MUEN magazine, said "A haunting over all tone lingers throughout on this debut... making “Illusions” an enriched montage of rock dramatics, usually not within the translation capability of a band creating their freshman L.P." Coinciding with the album release, a self produced Music Video for “The Visitor” was released online as well as DVD.
Completing the line up with the addition of new drummer Rob Parkkonen and keyboardist Kevin Schaner, the West Michigan based powerhouse is now set to unleash “Illusions” upon the world live.
The summer and fall of 2009 saw the band embarking on a string of highly successful shows, including slots on Carnival of Chaos 09, RockStock 09, Labor Day Metal Mayhem, The Halloween Harvest of Souls, and even a TV appearance on WZZM’s Take Five and Company. Highlighted by a performance of the entire ‘Illusions” album to a stunned hometown crowd in October, the band spent the remainder of 2009 performing in venues across Michigan.
Holloway has recently started work on a follow up recording to be released sometime in early 2010.
----------- INTERVIEW IN RECOIL MAGAZINE ----------
interview by Nick Stephenson/Recoil Magazine
The song Holloway's Ross Morgan is most proud from the band's upcoming debut album speaks volumes to where he and his band are these days. It's one he never could have recorded with previous projects. "The Current" is the rock ballad on Illusions. The first few bars begin like a piano concerto. Then the acoustic guitars and strings kick in, and Morgan sings of metaphorical imprisonment.
"Lost our humble sanction/counting scratches on the wall..."
Fans of the Morgan brothers' old band Avitus likely will look for the drums and electric guitars to kick in around the 1:08 mark. They don't.
"Your eyes turn grey as the current of life, leads you away."
In Avitus, Morgan said he felt he could only write one type of song and it didn't take long for him to tire of big, heavy rockers. Essentially, he got a few months into building a house, looked up and didn't like what he saw. So the band broke up.
Well, they changed names, anyway. Aside from new drummer Dave Woodward, Holloway includes the same lineup as Avitus. Josh Morgan returned on bass, and guitarist/keyboardist Shawn Julian came back, much to the brothers' surprise.
"We honestly didn't think he'd be interested in doing something else," Ross Morgan said. Julian jumped at the chance after hearing some of the material the brothers had been working on.
Lyrically, Illusions is a concept album based on real-life events from Ross Morgan's childhood and adult life.
"It's a story about a guy who loses his girlfriend, and he essentially gets trapped with finding her soul, contacting her dead soul," he said. "I want to look at each album as a movie – they don't all have to be the same thing over and over."
One senses that creative freedom is important to the lead singer, who lists poetry, photography, and solo projects as interests on his personal MySpace page. He added that he appreciates having an outlet for his pain, but quickly stated that he's a pretty happy guy, overall. While there is a relationship in his past that he looks back on with contempt, his mother's death after battling cancer in the late 1990s shows up most frequently in ways perhaps only he and his brother can identify. Surprisingly, he has no problem sharing these personal emotions on stage.
"As deep as it is, you can't take it too seriously," he said. "It's just rock and roll when you get down to it."
Avitus was a recording band first and touring band second. While Morgan said there are more venues available to his band to play than there were two years ago and he hopes to do more touring, their first priority is making a great album. The recording process collectively made them better musicians.
"It really forces you to examine your own playing – and your own writing, too," he said. Josh Morgan recorded the album, and Ross said he was thankful to have someone with enough patience to find perfection. The music is a collaborative effort, and no member of Holloway had any problem telling another something wasn't working (drummer Dave Woodward didn't join the band until after the recording sessions).
"Every song that's on there, started out one way and kind of ended up another way," Ross Morgan said.
"The songs are more difficult; they're faster, they're busier, they're more guitar-driven, there are a lot more vocal parts. Just, in general, they're a lot bigger."
Illusions will be available on March 17. Check their website at www.hollowayband.com for a list of the stores that carry it.
March 2009
____________ REVIEWS_____________
"....the album sounds like an epic, prog rock concept album. Heavy, riff-happy guitar, pounding drums juxtaposed against fairytale piano and interesting effects. It's musically complex without being inaccessible. It's a hard rock album, but it's not always a hard-rock album...."
- J. Bennett-Rylah, REVUE Magazine (May 26, 2009)
"A haunting over all tone lingers throughout on this debut... making “Illusions” an enriched montage of rock dramatics, usually not within the translation capability of a band creating their freshman L.P."
- Quintin Q5, MEUN Magazine / Q5 blog (Jun 16, 2009)
"To say Muskegon's Holloway knows just how to balance intricate prog-rock stylings with dynamic pauses, themes of "metaphorical imprisonment" and all-out hard rock would be an understatement....""
- John Sinkevics, The Grand Rapids Press (May 08, 2009)
"Beyond extending their music into cross-changeable media via proposed poetry, film, visual art and online tools, Holloway seeks to reinvent modern prog rock and metal by stripping it down to the basics and sculpting from the primers"
- Ray Van Horn, Jr, Review You (Jul 04, 2009)
"...With melodically structured songs massaging ones heart and rearranging deep dark thoughts on the surface that hide within us all, Holloway delivers a tasteful progressive rock sound fashioned through precise quality instrumentation.... "
- Quintin Q5, MUEN Magazine / Q5 blog (Jun 16, 2009)
"Eschewing the deliberate awkwardness of ancient prog-past, this disc mashes together all of its modern musical influences concisely and with maturity....... a logical conclusion to thoughtful aggression"
- Ryan Cunningham, Recoil Magazine (Apr 01, 2009)
"As a music critic I say that "Holloway channels rock through grooves and beats so down to earth they could grow ROCK on sand...The unexpected combination really works, providing fireworks of driving excitement. Then add some ROCK, Yes ~ thats Holloway!"
- Jackie N, the music gypsy, Jackie N, the music gypsy (Jun 19, 2009)
"...musicianship and delivery was solid... The band is really tight and I hear a lot of potential in your sound... good imagery used in the lyrics to help paint a picture for the listener...""
- Taxi Music Service
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