Life has got me wondering sometimes. Before the time that Wikipedia got to that point, I used to be known as the Encyclopedia of heavy Metal by my former Main Editors. If that is so, how on earth have I been able to not know about HOLY MOTHER? On June 7th, 2024 they released a new album the one I'm about to review. That in itself is not so special, but the fact that “Rise” is their seventh full length album is. Not only that, the band got together in 1990 and have been releasing albums since 1993! Okay, there is a hiatus from 2003 until 2021, but still. How did I, as the go to man for information, not have heard any of their material before?

Especially when HOLY MOTHER is able to come up with music like on “Rise”. I would gladly shout out their band name as to express my surprise at how high the quality is of all the songs being directed my way. In just over 40 minutes HOLY MOTHER have impressed me more than I would have thought possible. What makes all this possible is a combination of factors. HOLY MOTHER plays Melodic Heavy Metal and has a very personal vibe on “Rise”. All the somngs make you feel good, have a certain air of positivism and enthusiasm that is outrageously contagious.

So, if you are one of those who feel down on your luck, have a listen. But if you are one of those for whom the sun always shines, you also need to put “Rise” into your player ot onto your playlist. The driving forces of the guitar riffs plus the forward sounding foundations of drums and bass will make you take notice. You will tap your feet, try to sing (shout?) along and feel that you are part of the HOLY MOTHER experience. On top of that you have the vocals of Mike Tirelli, who has a very powerful voice, sometimes reminiscent of Ronnie James Dio in his BLACK SABBATH and early DIO stages. The lyrical lines suggest that he is a peer. But I also hear some Ozzy coming by, especially in the title track.

The title track “Rise” is actually very much inspired by RAMMSTEIN, but without the mechanical elements. The same goes for “Interventionist”. For the rest the music is bloody good. There is not a filler in sight, only killer songs. Making sure they never get dull or too long really helps in that respect. I have to admit that I have found myself another gem with “Rise”. Now I am going to to backtrack through all of their earlier stuff, to see if HOLY MOTHER always has been this impressive.