THE BEAST

HOLY DEATH - Separate Mind From Flesh - Reviewed By Corban Skipwith (Asphyxium zine) Check it out here at this link: https://aeafanzine.blogspot.com/2021/09/ep-review-holy-death-deus-mortis-seeing.html

Today, I want to discuss with you all a very tragic EP, one in which it’s whole existence is brought forth due to pain, suffering and ‘death’ and today you will be able to hear how devastating tragedy sounds on a record. Holy Death with ‘Deus Mortis’ So this is the October 2020 release by the band featuring a track list of four songs plus an Entombed cover.
In the description for this band it states that the lead singer had a near-death experience and which led him into the creation of this band, and has apparently lost several family members since, which is a pain no one should have to suffer. But in doing so he has unleashed into this world a series of tracks that feel absolutely soul crushing and detrimental from start to finish, a collection of songs that go past any emotional barrier or sense of ‘appropriation’. This is just pure, raw, animalistic emotional vulnerability over instrumentation and it’s one of the most mesmerizing thing I’ve ever heard.
The production itself gives a strong combination of Doom/Sludge with those slow, methodical pacing of the music combined with those heavy, sluggish guitar riffs and precise drum patterns to really hammer in the intensity provided on the songs. I can’t stress this enough, the sonic aggression provided to us is something I haven’t heard in a really long time. This is real, heartfelt pain expressed here, not just put on for the sake of ‘Metal’ or ‘Being Brutal’. No this is genuine sorrow expressed, and when you hear the real thing, no matter what you're used to hearing, you can recognize it right away.
The only album I could really compare this to (authenticity-wise) is the album IOWA by Slipknot. How rumour goes they were all at the rock bottom of their lives, Corey convinced them all to stay and record their animosity, and how that album became one of their most infamous records for that reason!
The same applies to this! Even though it’s only five tracks it won’t be for the weak of heart and don’t think just because you're used to heavy styles of music that this will be a cakewalk. Because when you step into this record you're walking into the real thing and sometimes the real thing can bite back.
What an astonishing effort on this one, I always take my hat off to those rare few who decide to unleash their anger and sorrow on to an album for the world to feel, it obviously can’t be easy but if the desired result was to have us all feel the pain, then message received.
Link is down below, go support this band and feel the incredible aura this record produces! – Corban Skipwith (Asphyxium zine)

Release: October 29, 2021

FFO: Nails, Xibalba, Asphyx, Grief

PREORDER CASSETTE/Digital  or  Shop Seeing Red Records

After a near death experience (previous to the pandemic), guitarist/vocalist Torie John formed Holy Death. In the years prior to this event, death was not an uncommon occurrence in his life having lost several family members in a very short period of time. It is from this loss that Holy Death finds its morbid inspiration. Since the band formed, they've put out four releases that explored the sonic realms of Death and Doom. Their last EP which we released as a 12" Vinyl (w/ a silk screened B Side), Deus Mortis, was a meditation on the balance between these genres, whereas Separate Mind From Flesh is much more influenced by 90's Sludge/Doom acts like Grief, Warhorse, and even Crowbar. Lyrically the songs continue to be held together by a common thread of the pursuit of spiritual and metaphysical freedom.

".. Holy Death’s brand of monolithic, heavy-hitting death-doom gets more potent with each new release...'Deus Mortis' hits like a giant’s skull used for a wrecking ball—five times over.."
- Decibel Magazine

"the band should be considered “ones to watch” "
- No Clean Singing

"Each release built upon this idea of mixing heavy as nails death metal guitar work with psychedelic doom metal motions."
- Grizzly Butts

Check out this video from their last release!

Check them out on Bandcamp!

HOLY DEATH is:
Torie - Vocal + Guitar
Aspen - Bass
Stephen - Drums

All songs written and performed by Holy Death
Recorded and mixed at Pale Moon Audio by Alex Estrada
Produced by Alex Estrada & Holy Death
Mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege
Album Art by CVSPE
Holy Death logo by Brendan Coughlin

Follow the band at these links:

https://www.instagram.com/holydeathdoom/

https://holydeathdoom.bandcamp.com/album/deus-mortis

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbAepYjMF9jRjLk1BXpBvwg