Holy Tears – Holy Tears

 

Holy Tears – Holy Tears
Self-released – 2023
Instrumental, Rock, Metal, Post, Prog
Rated: ****

“Instrumental. Heavy. Post rock with a punch.” That’s a short and sweet intro from the band themselves on their bandcamp site, but the words are spot on and only need the words progressive added, and metal, and captivating and awesome. We’re talking about the Holy Tears three from San Diego, USA and their self-titled debut album, released at the very end of 2023. Why start writing about that album in March 2024? Well, for starters, we can do whatever we want, it’s the internet and it’s my little old site. Secondly, the physical release was set for April 2024, so that’s another valid reason. But more importantly, the best reason of all, me thinks, it’s one of those amazing albums floating around the Heavy Underground that managed to stay completely hidden the past months. Well, for me at least. And perhaps for more of the Heavy Underground crazies out there, otherwise I reckon I would have heard more about it. Cause after hearing it for the first time, I could not stop spinning it. And after falling in love with an album we do our best to profess that love and spread it as zealously as we can… And we know we have a truckload of heavy music fiends with us that would do the same… 

The Holy Tears album will be moving you along at the speed of a sonic current, bursting, electricity sparks flying everywhere. For thirty-two minutes your world will become this revolving flux, zooming around and booming of the walls. The opening track, one and half minute long, Deter feels like an in medias res approach to introducing their sound. Offering up all their instrumental metal, with progressive, post rock, post hardcore and a touch of noise. This has the benefit of Holy Tears showing their colors early and preparing you for the rest of the prog and post metal blizzard to follow. The almost three minute long Nihilist follows, which encapsulates a paradox take on both unfolding their sound as well as wrapping it up, tightly knit one moment and absolutely free flowing the next. By the time the third track Hanuman arrives you are complete immersed in the Holy Tears universe and you will start to recognize certain patterns, motifs and especially the color scheme for what it is. The perfect way to create this ever morphing space, for their sound to inhabit and explode out of. Continuously reinventing and invigorating itself. And by the time the final track Gravity, with that intense clockwork of doom opening section, abruptly brings the adventure to an end, you will feel like you’ve been listening to one majestic piece of art. Perhaps three suites executed as one composition; an expose on how to pulsate or vibrate in an ever changing way, but in such a manner that the exploration feels like a deep dive into the depts, a penetration into a wild and wonderful abyss. The Holy Tears three delivered one of the best debuts of 2024 and the amount of potential immediately audible is enormous and makes you wonder what these three might achieve in the future… But for now you are here and with thirty-two minutes of impressive instrumental progressive and post metal heaviness to look forward to…

(Written by JK)

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