Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of three-piece Stoner/Grunge/Desert outfit The Holy Nothing. With a love of bands like Red Fang, Baroness, and Queens Of The Stone Age, they bring their own mix of styles to bear, crafting a unique blend of Metal. Their shared love of horror and science fiction is imbued within every track on this EP. Each song stands on its’ own, but they create a semi-theme of dealing with relationships and religions. Their tones echo the trouble those subjects can often bring to bear when humans are not on the same page as the people around them.

https://theholynothing.bandcamp.com/

Band Members:

  • Joey Kaufman – Vocals/Guitars
  • Dan Kinnaley – Bass/Additional Vocals
  • Austin Hammond – Drums

Release Date:

November 17, 2023

Self-Released

Tracklist:

  1. Bathe Me
  2. Bliss Trench
  3. Unending Death
  4. Mondegreen
  5. Doom Church

There is so much to unpack on this five-song EP. The Desert Rock blending with the Sludge and Heavy Metal, all while filtering through Melodic and Grunge Rock gives the disc a very eclectic set of tones. The higher register distorted wails of the lead vocals over the lower-end backing vocals create an interesting dichotomy. It’s like having a wailing Punk singer backed by a Melodic choir.

The lyrical content of the album is about the fringes of the emotional spectrum. The all-consuming love/lust in a relationship, wanting to go back and prevent past trauma for someone you care about, and trying to manufacture love where it may not truly exist. That last one hits home for me as I spent years in love with the idea of being in love. Tell me you care and I’ll plan out our lives, including baby names and retirement plans, only to watch that all crumble as we find out our incompatibility on the third date. Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the picture.

The music alternates between haunting melodies and heavy rhythms infused with Sludgy guitar riffs and wailing vocal screams. There are wildly variable textures and tones within each song, creating a palpable tension that is not easy to resolve. I can only guess that this is where the name of the record comes from. These songs do inspire A Profound And Nameless Fear. The Holy Nothing explores subjects in a way that causes a serious sense of dread, making me question my motives and how I approach relationships. Do I take on partners or just hostages? Do I love them or do I need them to validate me?

Do not listen to this album when feeling like you need a pep talk. You won’t get that here. This record may make you question your very existence and why you do things the way you do. If it makes you take a real look, then you might have gotten the point of this offering. Good luck to you.

MZ Ratings:

Musicianship:

  •             Guitars – 9
  •             Rhythms – 8
  •             Vocals – 9
  • Songwriting – 9
  • Production – 8

Overall – 8.60