Holy Wars

Holy Wars was founded in early 2017 by front woman Kat Leon (Sad Robot) and co- creator Nicolas Perez (The Beta Machine, Kitten, Sad Robot). The feel and sound of Holy Wars is intense, dark and romantically honest. This nature was spawned by Leon whose thoughts and work had always been informed by the spectre of death, but mainly inspired by her personal loss of both parents in short order in 2015. It was after that, in 2017, Holy Wars would erupt with 6 songs described as a letter of grief. 

Holy Wars’ debut was in front of a packed audience at the Echoplex in Feb 2017. The response from that live show would be the catalyst to the band’s immediate future with multiple shows booked from that one night and various music blog features and reviews stating Holy Wars was the band to watch (LA Times, Grimy Goods, Alternative Press, Huffington Post and more). 

Just as much of Leon’s writing comes from a place of conflict, Holy Wars’ music is rife with contrasts in texture and timbre. Tumult tumbles into triumph as a verse becomes a chorus. The twisting chord progressions Holy Wars employs might at times call to mind Radiohead circa OK Computer; the band’s canon fire riffs and soaring melodies could be likened to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It is as punk in attitude as it is as melodic and precise in musicality. 

“Orphan” is stunning- Alternative Press(Orphan” listed as #1 on Alternative Press ‘songs you need to hear)

“...a distinctly heavy synth-rock sound that’s somewhere between Siouxsie and Suicide with a modern production sheen.” – Los Angeles Times

“Hearing Holy Wars on a stream is one thing, but seeing the band perform live is a whole other experience. Kat Leon is an enchanting performer, full of emotional and physical movement — something that needs to be witnessed live.” - Grimy Goods 

“Orphan” is a gripping, mesmerizing number that merges elements of doom rock with the cinematic goth-rock of Kate Bush and Chelsea Wolfe. The searing guitars, hardened rhythms, and Leon’s soaring vocals form a wall of sound that pounds on your chest again and again. While the music is dark and heavy, it is a reflection of the pain and anger of a woman who has lost her heart and soul and is now alone. Her lyrics are emotional and hard-hitting” - The Revue

“We’ve had the pleasure of catching (and reporting) on two Holy Wars shows in 2017, but without the knowledge or history behind the music. In both instances, we were captivated by the energy that this band fed its audience. The energy was electric: intense and visceral. However, knowing all of the pain and healing that Kat put into writing the music, and seeing her embody all of those emotions on stage, amplifies that energy 10 fold.” - Blurred Culture