Holt is a Hungarian mysterious entity, part of the Bone Chapel Collective circle, together with fellow country mates OS, Tomb Portal and Zurkulet. The debut demo of this anonymous congregation was released about a year ago in digital format and on pro tape (limited to 150 copies) later in October 2024, via the German label Obscure Disharmony Records. Even if there’s no info whatsoever on the band’s line-up, I tend to believe Holt shares some members with OS, especially on the vocal side. But that’s not important at all, what matters is the music, which on this release is really killer.
The demo contains 1 Intro (“Krematórium“), 2 stand alone tracks and 1 Outro (“Hant“) with a total duration of almost 20 minutes. The music is heavy as fuck and doesn’t invoke pleasant feelings so do not expect positive vibes from this release. Holt created their own version of crushing doom/death metal which sounds as scary as a mornuful funeral lament coming from an abandoned graveyard. The tempo is mainly slow and oppressive, underlined by the suffocating yet crunchy guitar riffs and drum beats. Occasionally the rhythm speeds up a bit and that’s when some bludgeoning blast beats burst forth (ex.”Hamu“), only to return to the claustrophobic and crushing slow tempos the band seems to revel in. The same murky pace is kept on the other full track, “Pecsét“, which is also the longest one on the tape, running for a good 8 minutes. On this “song”? the band develops all the elements they used on the previous track, enhancing the morbid atmosphere with even more oppressive tempos and otherwordly growls. I absolutely love these vocals, they are perfect for this type of music and they evoke perfectly that feeling of death and decay.
What I like the most about Holt‘s music is that it’s very cinematic in a way, especially if you listen closely to the Intro and the Outro. In most cases, intros and outros are not too memorable and can be easily forgotten, but these 2 really play and important part on this release. I truly imagine a depressive black and white country-side scenery, where folks still follow strict rules when it comes to death and burial practices. The atmosphere on this demo reeks of a nauseating, acrid stench and Holt has perfectly captured on tape the image of DEATH (just look at the demo cover and you’ll know what I mean). If you haven’t listened to this release yet, I urge you to do it asap, this demo is indeed something special and memorable.
HOLT – “Métely” Track List:
1. Intro (Krematórium)
2. Hamu
3. Pecsét
4. Outro (Hant)
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