Having just completed touring with the Anthrax-headlined Metal Alliance tour, Los Angeles heavy-metal quintet Holy Grail are excited to premiere their second-ever music video right here right now. Directed by Will Knapp, “Ride The Void”–the title track from their critically acclaimed sophomore release–can be seen below.
You can catch Holy Grail alongside Exodus on one of the dates found under the video. The band will also be hosting a record release show at the Viper Room in Los Angeles on May 15.
To purchase Ride the Void, visit RideTheVoid.com or iTunes.
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Chris Krovatin is the author of three young adult novels, Heavy Metal & You, Venomous, and Gravediggers: Mountain of Bones. He is currently working on multiple new writing projects, as well as new material with his local New York metal band Flaming Tusk. He is a contributing writer for Revolver and generally comes off as a good-natured pain in everyone’s collective ass. This piece below represents his opinions–and probably only his opinions.
Irving Plaza, New York. Saturday, April 20.
Date of this concert: 4/20.
And how are we today: Dave’s not here, man.
Journalists’ favorite thing to hear at a will-call window: “You’re not on any of the lists we have.”
Even better: “Absolutely, sorry for the inconvenience,” 15 minutes later.
Backpatch of the night: The one of spiraling Pantera logos, on the back of a chick.
Cost of a 24 oz. Bud Light tall boy at Irving Plaza: $13.
Cost of a Genesee Cream Ale: $5.
Number of Genesees consumed upon arrival: 3.
How you doing there, buddy: What’s a buddy?
First up: Holy Grail from California.
Sounds like: Just, man, just fucking great.
Surprise of the night: While not my favorite record, Holy Grail’s latest, Ride the Void, sounds absolutely awesome live.
Favorite Holy Grail track of the night: The always-awesome closer, “Fight to Kill.”
Favorite piece of merch available: Municipal Waste’s shirt featuring a chick shotgunning a beer through some dude’s perforated head.
Least favorite aspect of Irving Plaza: The No Re-Entry policy. Such horseshit.
Second least favorite aspect of Irving Plaza: The lukewarm half-bunned hot dog I’m forced to eat due to aforementioned No Re-Entry policy.
Up next: Shadows Fall from Massachusetts.
Band Shadows Fall is replacing on this tour, on 4/20: High on Fire.
Resulting emotion: I hate you, Shadows Fall. I hate you more than any band, ever.
Even Megadeth?: I could never hate a band more than Megadeth.
Brilliant observation of the night: Shadows Fall frontman Brian Fair’s dreads must be cumbersome to headbang like that.
Sad moment of the night: What, no “Crushing Belial?” No “Fleshhold?”
Favorite crowd spotting of the night: Municipal Waste’s Tony Forresta, charging past me. Huh, dude looks pissed.
What Tony Forresta is probably pissed about: This BULLSHIT NO RE-ENTRY POLICY, most likely.
On that note, we have: Municipal Waste from Richmond, Virginia.
Headbanger: Face rip.
Number of seconds into the Waste’s set before a cloud of smoke rises from the crowd: 2.6.
Number of dugout hits taken: 5.
What’s going on, man: Everyone’s beautiful. Thrash metal is just so fucking beautiful.
Favorite Municipal Waste track of the set: The crushing power of “The Thrashin’ of the Christ.”
Interesting stage banter: Tony Forresta calling Anthrax “the hometown heroes.” I never think of Anthrax as a New York band these days.
Reasons for not thinking of Anthrax as an NYC band: 40% Scott Ian living in LA, 60% Joey Belladonna’s tan.
Tip for the burgeoning partier: Headbanging plus multiple beers plus herbal refreshment equals feeling like you’re going to pass out midway through a show.
Follow-up tip: Never get old.
Two left, next we got: Exodus.
From: New Zealand. The Bay Area, you fucking mook.
Hilarious sight of the night: A bunch of sweaty thrashers throwing up the horns and screaming the phrase “SADO-SEXUAL VIOLEEEENCE!”
Catty observation of the night: Frontman Rob Dukes has packed on a few pounds.
Further catty observations: Rob, who you pointing at? Is that even a stage move?
All that said: Rob Dukes is, in my opinion, Exodus’ best frontman.
Awesome track of the night: All of them. But especially “Fabulous Disaster.”
Admission of the night: I could give a fuck about “Bonded by Blood.”
One band left, you OK there, pal: I think I gotta go to the hospital.
And finally: Anthrax, from NYC, which everyone keeps reminding me.
Specialty of the night: Anthrax are playing Among the Living in its entirety.
Big impressive moment of the night: Wow, Joey Belladonna sounds a lot better now than he did on that reunion tour all those years ago!
Hot damn: I can’t believe I ever doubted the dude. He’s killing it.
However: I am now reminded that not all of Among the Living is that good.
All that said: WAR DANCE!
End of the night: A blast of fresh air and a straight-up canon being sparked the minute I leave.
What else you got going on?: There are other things?
In this week’s Album of the Week poll, you, the fans, voted Otep to the top spot, for their album Hydra. Check out the top five vote-getters below:
1. Otep – Hydra
2. Holy Grail – Ride the Void
3. Love and Death – Between Here & Lost
4. For All I Am – Skinwalker
5. Helloween – Straight Out of Hell
Stay tuned for this week’s poll, which will be live tomorrow on RevolverMag.com. Until then, you can check out Otep’s “Apex Predator” off Hydra below:
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This week sees new shit from Otep, Holy Grail, Rotten Sound, and more hitting stores. Check out the list of releases below and let us know which ones you’re snagging a copy of and which record should be the Album of the Week. Pick your favorite and feel free to vote as many times as you want. Voting ends on Monday, January 28, at noon, when the results will be announced.
UPDATE: The poll closed. For the results, click right here.
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Cali power-thrashers Holy Grail will release their new album, Ride the Void, on January 22 via Prosthetic Records. In anticipation, the band is offering up a badass Holy Grail skateboard to one lucky winner. Enter below, and may the best headbangers win!
Leading up to the end of the year, Revolver has asked some of our favorite artists to pick their Top Albums of 2012 and tell us why each record rules. Here, James Paul Luna (pictured left), vocalist of the power-metal band Holy Grail, selects his faves.
5. Kadavar, Kadavar
“German hard, heavy rock band with a spot on throwback sound. The production, riffs, songwriting, and melodies almost sound like a long lost Bang or Blue Cheer album. Well done, boys!”
4. Razorwyre, Another Dimension
“Thrashy New Zealand metallers Razorwyre have won me over with this record, lots of insanely high-pitched vocals and killer riffs. Over the top, epic, and tongue in cheek at times, but such a fun listen each time.”
3. Striker, Armed to the Teeth
“Catchy songs with big choruses and tasty licks topped off with production by Michael Wagener (Accept, Metallica, Skid Row, etc.). These Canadian metalheads are living proof that metal will never die.”
2. High on Fire, De Vermis Mysteriis
“This record blew me away, man. I don’t know how they manage to keep it fresh each album, but dammit, they did it and just might have overdone it. So good!”
1. Royal Thunder, CVI
“Royal Thunder is what all those female-fronted doomy rock bands ought to sound like or wished they sounded like. Mlny Parsonz’s voice is the prize here, but backed by killer songs and musicianship, this album is pretty much unbeatable.”
Holy Grail will release their new album, Ride the Void, in early 2013. In anticipation, the band is premiering the lyric video for a song off the record, “The Dark Passenger,” right here right now. Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments.
]]>The two covers contained within are, in a word, brilliant. The former, an amped-up version of King Diamond’s “No Presents for Christmas,” manages to channel the Mercyful Fate frontman’s creepiness while using Holy Grail’s patented guitar tornadoes and dive bombs to inject the song with new energy, complete with some extra holiday goodies thrown in (the “Carol of the Bells” solo is clutch, and the use of the sad Charlie Brown music at the end will win over even the grimmest of Scrooges). The second track, a rendition of Rainbow’s “Kill the King,” has nothing to do with the yule, but is still a satisfying addition, especially considering how much Grail singer James-Paul Luna sounds like the late Ronnie James Dio.
In truth, this EP is a blip in the Holy Grail’s discography, most likely a pleasure-time activity by the band itself. It’s certainly not bad—both covers are played with equal parts reverence for the original performers and assimilation into Holy Grail’s modern-day sound. Maybe that’s what makes it a perfect addition to a Christmas list—something you’d love to have, but maybe wouldn’t want to buy yourself. CHRIS KROVATIN
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