Holy Roar Records

Holy Roar Records
Founded 2006
Founder Alex Fitzpatrick
Ellen Godwin
Genre Hardcore punk, punk rock, extreme metal, experimental rock
Country of origin United Kingdom
Location London, England
Official website www.holyroarrecords.com

Holy Roar Records is an independent record label run by Alex Fitzpatrick. The label began in January 2006 when he moved to London from Birmingham and put out its first release in June 2006,[1] the Phoenix Bodies album, Raise the Bullshit flag. Since then Holy Roar Records has over 150 releases. The name is actually derived from a vision Alex had whilst on the hallucinogen LSD. The vision came to Alex as he listened to Slayer in the form of a lion with the face of Jesus. Due to the significance of the music and the vision it was decided that the label henceforth be known as "Holy Roar", the holy referring to the face of Jesus, and the roar referring to the lion.[2]

History

Holy Roar Records was formed at the beginning of 2006, when Alex Fitzpatrick moved to London. After previously trialling out “thecommunion” with friends in Birmingham during his university days and armed with the intention of giving bands the recognition he felt they deserved, he and his girlfriend at the time, Ellen Godwin decided to start up a record label.[3] Utilising a loan, they released and promoted what would be the label's first ever releases: Rolo Tomassi (their first “proper” EP), Phoenix Bodies (a grind/punk crossover band) and a split between the bands, Kayo Dot and Bloody Panda.

In 2007, through a combination of luck and circumstance, Holy Roar Records found themselves releasing records by Gallows, Chronicles of Adam West (tech-metal) and Chariots (screamo). The label was still very much a hobby at this point, but this was soon to change as Alex Fitzpatrick decided to throw in his day job and take the label on as a priority - utilising the support of those around him and taking on other relevant and connected roles such as writing for magazines and driving and managing bands to keep himself afloat.

A couple of years later, Alex had managed to make Holy Roar Records a full-time commitment and since then he has managed to: curate a stage at Offset Festival (2014),[4] host a stage at Incubate Festival (2014),[5] partner with Shock Records,[6] partner with ArcTanGent Festival (2015) [7] and is due to curate a stage at Brighton’s Alternative Escape this year (2016) .[8]

A decade since initiation, Holy Roar Records finds itself with over 150 releases and a nomination by Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards for “Best Independent Label”.[9]

Contrary to the Wikipedia description above, the name “Holy Roar” was actually derived from a Torche song with the same title.[10]

Ethos

Taking inspiration from Aaron Turner (Isis & Hydrahead Records), Jacob Bannon (Converge & Deathwish Inc.), Black Market Activities and Touch and Go Records,[11] amongst many others, Holy Roar Records strives to be a hardworking, friendly and approachable label for a wide range of bands, preferring to establish a relationship of trust through being transparent and honest. Alex Fitzpatrick’s previous experiences from being in various bands (Pariso, Cutting Pink with Knives), has provided him with the insider knowledge of what a band needs and how to effectively compromise this alongside the needs of a label.[12]

Holy Roar Records advocates common sense, respect and manners over hype and money and is about breaking moulds rather than repeating trends and fashions - it has even been referred to as the “thinking man’s hardcore label” due to its varied catalogue of releases. Holy Roar Records wants to get people into different kinds of music[13] whilst ensuring there is a strong aesthetic to all their releases.[14]

#UKSWELL

UK Swell (#UKSWELL)[15] was a (non-)movement consisting of "‘A loose grouping of British heavy bands that don’t subscribe to any particular fashions, trends or OTT machismo.". The main bands at the core of this movement were: The Long Haul, Pariso, Kerouac and Bastions and it was initially both inspired by and a pisstake of "The Wave" scene in America - which consisted of bands such as Defeater, Pianos Become the Teeth, Make Do and Mend, Touché Amoré etc. UK Swell hoped to inspire “More interesting and diverse bills, more co-operation and collaboration, and a platform to call out bullshit on machismo, sexism, real violence at shows and other non-inclusive, anti-productive stuff.” It ended with the demise of Pariso on 4 September 2015 (RIP).

Current roster

Bands on the Holy Roar Records roster (as of 2016) are:
  • Cursed Earth
  • Departures
  • Down I Go
  • Employed to Serve
  • Eulogy
  • Fall of Messiah
  • Giants
  • Haast's Eagled

  • Rough Hands
  • Slabdragger
  • Svalbard
  • Up River
  • We Never Learned to Live
  • Wren
  • Years Of Abuse

Past artists

Below is a list of bands previously on the Holy Roar Records roster:[16]

Releases

Any specific pressing information can be found on the official Holy Roar Records website.[17]

Cat # Artist(s) Release Format(s)
HRR159 Wren Host Vinyl/Digital
HRR158 Giants Against The Grain (single) Digital
HRR157 Fall of Messiah Empty Colours CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR156 Rolo Tomassi The BBC Sessions CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR155 Giants Break The Cycle (Single) Digital
HRR154 Employed to Serve/A Ghost Orchestra Split Digital
HRR153 Giants Break The Cycle CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR152 Down I Go Iceland Extras Vinyl/Digital
HRR151 Helpless Helpless CD
HRR150 More Than Life Love Let Me Go CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR149 Eulogy Eternal Worth Vinyl/Digital
HRR148 Cursed Earth Enslaved By The Insignificant Flexidisc
HRR147 Haast's Eagled II For Mankind Vinyl
HRR146 Down I Go You're Lucky God, I Cannot Reach You Vinyl/Digital
HRR145 Svalbard One Day All This Will End CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR144 Slabdragger Rise of the Dawncrusher CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR143 Pariso Pariso Vinyl/Digital
HRR142 Years of Abuse Social Order Cassette/Digital
HRR141 We Never Learned to Live Crystalline Digital
HRR140 We Never Learned to Live Shadows in Hibernation Digital
HRR139 Rolo Tomassi Opalescent Digital
HRR138 Employed to Serve Bones to Break Digital
HRR137 Employed to Serve Watching Films to Forget I Exist Digital
HRR136 Rolo Tomassi Stage Knives (Single) Digital
HRR135 Rolo Tomassi Grievances CD/Vinyl/Cassette/Digital
HRR134 We Never Learned to Live Silently, I Threw Them Skyward CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR133 Ohmms Cold CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR132 Employed to Serve Greyer Than You Remember CD/Vinyl/Cassette/Digital
HRR131 Svalbard Discography 2012–2014 CD
HRR130 VA Digital Sampler Digital
HRR129 Ohhms Bloom CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR128 Body Hound Rhombus Now Vinyl/Digital
HRR127 Rough Hands Nothing's Changed Vinyl/Digital
HRR126 Brontide Artery CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR125 We Never Learned to Live/Human Future Split Vinyl/Digital
HRR124 Employed to Serve Change Nothing, Regret Everything Vinyl/Digital
HRR123 More Than Life Do You Remember Digital
HRR122 Up River Undertow Vinyl/Digital
HRR121 More Than Life What's Left of Me CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR120 Enabler Flies Vinyl/Digital
HRR119 Bastions Bedfellows Part II: The Forgotten Daughter Vinyl/Digital
HRR118 Maths/Throats Split CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR117 Svalbard Gone Tomorrow Digital
HRR116 Svalbard Svalbard Digital
HRR115 MINE Disappear Vinyl/Digital
HRR114 Rough Hands Rough Hands Vinyl/Digital
HRR113 Monolith A Votive Offering Digital
HRR112 Brutality Will Prevail Scatter the Ashes Vinyl
HRR111 VA Winter Spring 2013 Sampler Digital
HRR110 Conan/Bongripper Split Vinyl
HRR109 Coliseum Sister Faith CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR108 This Is Hell The Enforcer Vinyl/Digital
HRR107 Last Witness Saccharine/Less Than Zero Vinyl/Digital
HRR106 Bastions Bedfellows Part 1: The Bastard Son Vinyl/Digital
HRR105 Strife Witness a Rebirth CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR104 MINE MINE Vinyl/Digital
HRR103 Throats Throats (Repress) Vinyl/Digital
HRR102 Full of Hell/Calm the Fire Split Vinyl/Digital
HRR101 Hang the Bastard 2009-2012 CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR098 Kerouac Heavy Hearted: Collected Recordings 2009-2011 Vinyl/Digital
HRR097 Cutting Pink With Knives Populuxxe (Reissue) Vinyl/Digital
HRR096 run WALK! Health Vinyl/Digital
HRR095 Pariso 2009-2011 Discography Digital
HRR094 Desolated Verse of Judas Vinyl
HRR093 We'll Die Smiling New Objectivity Vinyl/Digital
HRR092 Nibiru Earthbreeder Vinyl/Digital
HRR091 Monolith I, Misanthrope Vinyl
HRR090 Last Witness The Void Digital
HRR089 Last Witness Mourning After CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR088 Crocus Our Memories Dress Me in a Dead Lust CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR087 Jackals/Grazes Split Vinyl/Digital
HRR086 Goodtime Boys Are We Now or Have We Ever Been CD/Digital
HRR085 Brontide Coloured Tongues/MFBT Vinyl/Digital
HRR084 Will Haven Voir Dire Vinyl/Digital
HRR083 run WALK!/ Sirs Split Vinyl/Digital
HRR082 Crossbreaker Lows Vinyl/Digital
HRR081 VA Holy Hell Summer Sampler 2011 Digital
HRR080 Make Do and Mend Make Do and Mend Vinyl
HRR079 Abolition Abolition Vinyl
HRR078 Daggers Euphoria Vinyl/Digital
HRR077 Rosa Valle Holy Bermuda CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR076 Brutality Will Prevail Sleep Paralysis CD
HRR075 End Reign End Reign Vinyl/Digital
HRR074 Witch Cult Witch Cult Vinyl/Digital
HRR073 Jackals/Self Loathing Split Vinyl/Digital
HRR072 Brontide Sans Souci CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR071 Eisberg Eisberg Vinyl/Digital
HRR070 Gallops Joust/Eukodol Vinyl/Digital
HRR069 Rolo Tomassi Eternal Youth Vinyl/Digital
HRR068 Rolo Tomassi/Antares Split Vinyl
HRR067 Kerouac/Pariso Split CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR066 The Ergon Carousel Dead Banks Vinyl/Digital
HRR065 Slabdragger Regress Vinyl/Digital
HRR064 Grazes Myths Vinyl/Digital
HRR063 Cthulhu Youth Inflatable World… Cassette
HRR062 Cthulhu Youth Cthulhu Youth Cassette
HRR061 VA Happy Holy Roar Mega Box Cassette
HRR060 Kerouac Cold and Distant, Not Loving Vinyl
HRR059 Baptists Black Dawn CD
HRR058 Maths Ascent Vinyl/Digital
HRR057 Touche Amore …To The Beat of a Dead Horse Vinyl
HRR056 run, WALK! Instrumental EP CD/Digital
HRR055 Throats/The Ergon Carousel Kyuss Covers Split Vinyl/Digital
HRR054 Hang the Bastard Hellfire Reign CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR053 Black Mass S/T CD/Digital
HRR052 Bastions Island Living Vinyl
HRR051 Never Again Year One Vinyl/Digital
HRR050 VA Happy Holy Roar Vol.4 Cassette
HRR049 Brutality Will Prevail Root of All Evil CD/Vinyl/Digital
HRR048 Young Legionairre Colossus/Iron Dream Vinyl
HRR047 Lone Wolves A True Discourse CD
HRR046 Rolo Tomassi Cosmology Vinyl
HRR045 Gallops Gallops CD/Digital
HRR044 Jackals S/T Vinyl
HRR043 Last Witness Give Up Vinyl/Digital
HRR042 We'll Die Smiling Avant-Garde CD/Digital
HRR041 run, WALK! IHTAWSICSSOEAOMITS CD
HRR040 Never Again Live at The Albert, Brighton Cassette
HRR039 Antares L'Espirit de l'escalier CD/Digital
HRR038 Throats S/T CD/Vinyl
HRR037 PABH/Holy State Split Vinyl
HRR036 Manuscripts/Betty Pariso Split Vinyl/Digital
HRR035 Trash Talk East of Eden/Son of a Bitch Vinyl
HRR034 Easy Hips/Dreamboats/Le Swing/Run, Walk! New Roars on the Block Vinyl
HRR033 Holy State/Brontide/The Tupolev Ghost/Shapes Holy Monsters Vinyl
HRR032 Rolo Tomassi/Throats Split Vinyl
HRR031 Livimorket Dark Totality CD/Digital
HRR030 VA Happy Holy Roar Vol.3 Cassette
HRR029 Holy State Live CD
HRR028 VA Spring '09 Digital Sampler Digital
HRR027 The Ghost of a Thousand This is Where the Fight Begins CD/Vinyl
HRR026 Maths Descent CD/Vinyl
HRR025 Rolo Tomassi Untitled (Reissue) CD
HRR024 Brontide Brontide EP Digital
HRR023 Cutting Pink with Knives Discography Digital
HRR022 Maths Live Acoustic Medley Digital
HRR021 Holy State Holy State EP Vinyl
HRR020 VA Happy Holy Roar Vol. 2 Cassette
HRR019 The Ergon Carousel The Ergon Carousel CD
HRR018 Devil Sold His Soul/Tortuga Split Vinyl
HRR017 Youves Cardio-Vascular CD/Digital
HRR016 Throats/The_Network Split CD
HRR015 Dananananakroyd Sissy Hits CD/Digital
HRR014 Mirror! Mirror! Silicon Eyes/Wolfgang Bang Vinyl
HRR013 Rolo Tomassi Digital History/Beatrotter Vinyl
HRR012 Maths/Throats Split CD
HRR011 Cutting Pink with Knives Laser Hannon Digital
HRR010 VA Happy Holy Roar Cassette
HRR009 Cutting Pink with Knives St Mark/Airz Digital
HRR008 Rolo Tomassi Untitled (Reissue) CD
HRR007 Cutting Pink with Knives Populuxxe CD
HRR006 Gallows Demo Vinyl
HRR005 Chariots The Inner Life CD/Digital
HRR004 Chronicles of Adam West We Walk Unbalanced CD/Digital
HRR003 Rolo Tomassi Untitled CD
HRR002 Bloody Panda/Kayo Dot Split Vinyl/Digital
HRR001 Phoenix Bodies Raise The Bullshit Flag CD/Digital

Compilations

For Christmas 2007 Holy Roar Records released a limited edition cassette tape compilation, "Happy Holy Roar!" featuring 20 previously unreleased/ self-released only songs by a variety of bands including some Holy Roar artists. The compilation was limited to 100 copies and sold out in just over a week.

Since then, Holy Roar Records have released the following via cassette:

  • Happy Holy Roar Vol.2
  • Happy Holy Roar Vol.3

  • Happy Holy Roar Vol.4

  • Happy Holy Roar Mega Box

and the following via digital release only:

  • Spring '09 Sampler
  • Holy Hell Summer Sampler 2011
  • Winter Spring 2013 Sampler
  • Holy Roar Bitter Autumn 2014 Sampler

  • HRX: Holy Roar Sampler 2016

In 2016, Holy Roar Records contributed an exclusive song to the Alcopop! Records Record Store Day release "Sensible Record Labels" Volume 2 compilation.

Holy Roar Records Clubs

In 2015, Holy Roar Records established two exclusive clubs:[18] Inner Roar (paid club) and Circle of Roar (free club). Memberships to these clubs allow followers access to exclusive competitions, advance pre-order information, free MP3s and special offers, amongst other significant perks.

Podcasts

Since April 2015, Holy Roar Records have been producing podcasts[19] hosted by Mario John Gambardella featuring different guests and their perspectives on the UK music scene.

Guests so far have included: Alex Fitzpatrick, Sammy + Justine (Employed to Serve), Djamila + Sam (Ithaca), Thom Denson (Kerouac/Brace Yourself PR), James Spence (Rolo Tomassi), Sean + Brett (We Never Learned To Live), Liam Phelan, Serena Cherry and Mark (Svalbard), Mario Gambardella (Pariso), Oli Knowles (Meet Me in St. Louis), Lewis Johns (The Ranch Productions, Goodtime Boys, The Long Haul), Tom Collins (Eulogy), Tomas Hubbard (Hang the Bastard/Carry The Weight Records), Jonathan Desmond (Grappler/Terrible Love), Chlo Edwards (Vales), Matthew Davies-Kreye (Funeral For A Friend), Curtis Prauß (Carrion Sunflower/The Pitch Control/Witch Cult), Alex + Steve (Truthseeker & Human Future), Phil Buch (Eden Maine), Loz Clark (Tour Driver/Cady), Paul & Dan (OHHMS), Leigh McAndrew (Rope/Palm Reader Records/Goodtime Boys), Pete Fraser (Down I Go)...and more tbc!

Pink Mist

Since 2010, Holy Roar Records has been a member of Pink Mist, a London-based promoter and label collective alongside Big Scary Monsters and Blood & Biscuits. The idea behind this collective was to create an alliance whereby resources were pooled in order to promote their bands to a wider audience.[20] Their first release was a pink and white 12" vinyl limited to 300 copies and released in April 2011 on Record Store Day, "Hello Pink Mist".[21] It consisted of 12 exclusive tracks (4 from each label) in which Holy Roar Records contributed tracks from run, WALK!, Hang the Bastard, Grazes and Bastions. Later that year, Tangled Talk joined the collective[22] to complete the current line-up.

In 2012, they released a download-only free compilation "Hello Pink Mist Volume 2"[23] to coincide with the launch of their new website[24] and in this same year, they were nominated for the Association of Independent Music Awards for "Best Small Label".[25] In 2013, Pink Mist announced a pop-up shop in Boxpark,[26] East London where they sold records and had in-store sessions and in 2014 they collaborated with Relentless (drink) to set up another pop-up shop at No.5 Denmark Street[27] featuring live performances. Pink Mist was also listed in The Guardian's "The 10 British Record Labels Defining the Sound of 2014".[28]

Due to individual circumstances, Pink Mist has become a looser entity over time as its initial founders went off in their own directions. However an extension of the brand is still particularly active and currently operates via Pink Mist live gigs which are run by the drive and dedication of promoter, Ross Allmark (DICE FM). In honour of Holy Roar Records' tenth birthday, Pink Mist is presenting Holy Roar X (HRX)[29] at The Dome, London on Saturday May 21, 2016.

Truthseeker Music

In 2015, Holy Roar Records launched a brand new sister label Truthseeker Music. To date, they have released records by Human Future, Annexia, Rope, Sonance, Torpor, Palehorse and 52 Commercial Road.

References

  1. ↑ "Label Focus #9: Holy Roar Records". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  2. ↑ "Interview 015 - Holy Roar Records". This Is Fubar Productions. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  3. ↑ "Interview: Alex Fitzpatrick of Holy Roar Records". Punktastic. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  4. ↑ "Holy Roar Announce Stage at Offset". diymag. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  5. ↑ "Holy Roar to curate stage at Incubate". Holy Roar. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  6. ↑ "Holy Roar Records signs deal with Shock Records". Holy Roar. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  7. ↑ "Holy Roar to be official label partner to ArcTanGent festival". Holy Roar. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  8. ↑ "Holy Roar Alternative Escape". After Dark. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  9. ↑ "Metal Hammer Golden Gods Nominees". Planet Mosh. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  10. ↑ "Bearded Label Love: Holy Roar". Bearded Magazine. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  11. ↑ "Designer Label: Holy Roar Records". Rock Midgets. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  12. ↑ "Holy Roar". Mint Magazine. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  13. ↑ "Holy Roar Records". SWNK. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  14. ↑ "Interview with Alex Fitzpatrick of Holy Roar Records". Louder Than War. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  15. ↑ "Behind the Scene: #UKSWELL". Thrash Hits. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  16. ↑ "Artists". Holy Roar Records. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  17. ↑ "Releases". Holy Roar Records. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  18. ↑ "Holy Roar Records Clubs". Thrash Hits. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  19. ↑ "Holy Roar Podcasts". Itunes. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  20. ↑ "Label Profile: Pink Mist". diymag. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  21. ↑ "Hello Pink Mist". Banquet Records. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  22. ↑ "Tangled Talk Official". Tangled Talk. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  23. ↑ "Hello Pink Mist Volume 2". Punktastic. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  24. ↑ "Pink Mist". Pink Mist. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  25. ↑ "AIM Independent Music 2012 Nominees". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  26. ↑ "Pink Mist Boxpark". Thrash Hits. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  27. ↑ "Relentless x Pink Mist". Culture Compass. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  28. ↑ "10 Best Record Labels". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  29. ↑ "Pink Mist - HRX". Pink Mist. Retrieved 2016-04-18.

Interviews with Alex Fitzpatrick of Holy Roar Records

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