Heroine Complex is the solo songwriting project of Ashly Dalene of Belleisle and One Wing Low. On January 29th of this year, Heroine Complex released Hollow, the first of a three-part concept album series. Joining Ashly on the EP are Andy Palmer (The Mother Z’s) on drums and Brad Weissenberger (.22, The Book Burners) on guest vocals.
Hollow is about a girl who falls in love with a serial killer, with the overarching tone to match.
“Spark and Scar” feels heavy and ominous, with all of its overbearing piano and dramatic cymbal crashes. Massive and dark, it gives the impression that the rest of the album will follow suit. Thematically, it does, but aurally, the album’s energy picks up and doesn’t weigh on the listener as much as the first track.
Hollow offers up a five songs, each telling one part of this unique story from the female’s perspective. The album, as a whole, feels like a rock opera – haunting at points, but balanced with driving, upbeat pieces.
For now, the project focuses on a series of short rock operas with a melodic, dark pop style with the goal of telling the narrator’s story. The three-part series is thematically focused on nightmares, horror stories, and dual nature. With two more EPs expected, Heroine Complex certainly has left us wondering how it’ll all play out.