Today,  the Los Angeles-based rock outfit Holy Wars has returned with the hauntingly cinematic new single, “Ceremony , which touches on dark meditations of sacrifice, where devotion and self-erasure blur into ritual, before quietly questioning the cost of surrender. Sonically, “Ceremony” is a whirlwind experience, weaving pummeling guitar riffs, driving rhythms pulsating synths and dynamic crescendos behind vocalist Kat Leon’s soaring and impassioned vocals that reach for the stars.

“Ceremony’ at its core is about the fantasy and fear of non-existence and the times I myself have not wanted to exist anymore. However, I want to provide a message of hope and more than anything, this song is about survivalism and a hope for a better life. We also touch on ceremonial references, including my own practice of candle magic. In the song I say ‘Wax in my veins, I’m candlelight’ and ultimately I want to drive the point home of owning your power and your weakness.” said Leon.

“Ceremony” arrives alongside the official announcement of the band’s highly anticipated sophomore album, Shadow Work/Light Work, which is due for release on April 24, through Pale Chord/Rise Records BMG. This new chapter follows the band’s incendiary late 2023 EP, Cult Classic and finds the band at their most grandiose form yet. The upcoming album is a concept record on grief and overcoming trauma, while returning to the band’s darker and more vulnerable roots and ushering in a new era of hope, light and ultimately triumph over tragedy.

Shadow Work/Light Work Track List

Side A: Shadow Work
1. O Death
2. I Feel Everything
3. Shadowalker
4. Crucify
5. Skin Deep
6. I.F.O.Y.G.
Side B: Light Work
7. Proof of Existence
8. Kill The Light
9. Ceremony
10. Everything You
11. Holy Unholy
12. Metamorphosis

Photo Credit: Boston Lynn Schulz