In The Afterglow "Hollow Words"

Sounds from Canada

28/04/2026 |

"Hollow Words" by In The Afterglow is a searing 4'01'' shoegaze-infused alternative metal anthem that channels disillusionment with the modern world into a crushing, 120-BPM wall of sound. Eschewing the acoustic restraint of traditional protest folk, the track surges with dark, aggressive energy, using layers of distorted guitars, swirling reverb, and pounding rhythms to mirror the sharp dissonance between political rhetoric and the brutal reality of conflict. Crafted by British-Canadian producer Alfred Hermida—who draws on two decades of musical experience and a lifelong devotion to the sonic textures of My Bloody Valentine, Ride, and Slowdive—the song exemplifies his In The Afterglow project's innovative fusion of human creativity and AI-assisted production. The result is an urgent, immersive sonic experience that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary: a shoegaze-dreampop tempest with the visceral punch of alternative metal, proving that protest music can roar as powerfully through haze and distortion as it does through verse and chorus.