Embark On a Post-Rock Odyssey w/ HOLY TEARS’ Debut Album

Hello, can I interest you in some astonishingly heavy post-rock?

Have you ever felt that if you would sit down for a second longer, you would go crazy? If you ever felt that you needed to get up, get outside, and get doing something, well, I got the right album for you! For a genre that mostly got itself a reputation for being melancholic (and rightfully so), post-rock still has that dynamic, explosive energy that’ll get you on your feet. I guess I’ve always loved that combination of punchy bass lines, dreamy drums, and bouncy riffs, as they deliver such an expressive auditory journey without a word needed.

Holy Tears‘ eponymous album has it all. The San-Diego-based band is a blend of post-rock and heavy rock, creating a sort of music that is both immediately intriguing and structurally rich, letting you sink deeper into its embrace with returning listens. The album kicks right out of the gate with opener ‘Deter.’ The track is a rollercoaster of fierce notes. It has a monstrous opening riff, channeling the heavy influences of metal. ‘Nihilist‘ is a darker sibling to ‘Deter,’ if you will, steeped in a ghostly vibe, drawing on progressive rock with its skin-crawling tone that’s quite hard to pin down.

The third track on the album, Holy Tears already got me where I needed to go, landing me in a hyper-charged state of mind. ‘Hanuman‘ sends out hooks in all directions at once; it’s a super slick and appealing track while being sonically dense and heavy, true to form.

‘Burst‘ takes me to pg.lost‘s ‘Oscillate‘ era. It is simply swimming in such incredible riffs building into something even greater than the sum of its parts. I just adore the theme and the melancholic vibe that runs throughout, giving the sense of a little maze that you’re not in any rush to find your way out of. If only it was a bit longer.

Listen to how the slow upbeat rhythm on ‘Strike‘ gives way to more brooding, and how amazingly it turns into the core of what makes post-rock music so great, precisely the expression of sadness and anger. God, this track is so good! Now, what can I say? I’m an absolute sucker for shoegaze notes in post-rock, and this track has those deep ones. There are moments here when things get dark enough to evoke the loneliness and the tears that the band’s name and cover art set forth.

‘Kira‘ channels the same mood, dealing with the sort of heart-aching wonder that all post-rock explores. So far, ‘Pure‘ is one of the album’s most energetic tracks. Here, the band takes the unconventional aspects of heavy rock, including the technicality of prog rock, fleshing that out into a 3-minute track, all the while capturing the terrifying sense of being alone.

Some interesting syncopated grooves are woven throughout so many of the verses of ‘Basement‘ as a sort of steadying force that propels the higher melodies, giving it a progressive edge. Drums, guitar, and bass are layered to perfection, building upon one another without compromising anything. Just like you would feel abandoned in a basement, you’re walking from exasperated anguish to acceptance on one of the most dynamic tracks. Greatly, this last half of the album gives a whole new context to the holy tears, heightening the raw emotion in a way no traditional lyrics ever could.

Watching the snow from my window, ‘Gravity‘ makes its way into my headphones easily turning into the perfect winter listen. While the track is filled with absolute bangers, you will still be presented with vital attention to emotion and atmosphere.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first hit the play button. The result? This album has infectious melodies and energy that grab you and urge the journey forward. Tracks like ‘Burst,’ ‘Strike,’ ‘Kira‘, or ‘Gravity‘ are straight-up anthems in the best way, with thrilling tension and exultant catharsis. From the frantic energy of ‘Basement‘ to the dark journey of ‘Nihilist‘, “Holy Tears” is huge in every way. If a band like Holy Tears represents a large amount of the future of post-rock, then sign me up for more.