Formed by frontman Dom Knight, known for his stint as guitarist of cult goth rock band The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, and drummer Luke Bujniewicz in 2020 and joined by bassist Jake Beckett, Holy Popes combine gloomy post-punk atmosphere with dirty garage rock noise. After setting the mood with album opener ‘Prelude’, a swirling mix of flutes and tinny percussive noise, Holy Popes put their best foot forward with the track ‘Seance’. With repeated, drawled lyrics, thin, fuzzed out guitar lines and a stomping bassline this track puts Knight in a spotlight, with a stoned slurring reminiscent of early Queens of the Stone Age and high pitched, angular riffs that cut through the bass and drums like an axe.
An absolute highlight of the album is the single ‘Pencils’, with its choppy, staccato guitar riff building up to a wall of sound chorus. Post-punk bands often live and die on the strength of their bassists, with the guitar usually taking the upper register the bass has far more room to shine, Holy Popes take full advantage of this, allowing ‘Beckett’ to let loose and create wide, dissonant chords in lock step with the drums, really elevating the entire album but standing out here. Pencils is one of the more lyrically interesting tracks on the album, tackling toxic masculinity and its negative effect on men delivered in a harsher tone than the rest of the album with Knight doing his best Mark Lanegan impression.
“Pencils is one of the more lyrically interesting tracks on the album, tackling toxic masculinity and its negative effect on men”
Despite only clocking in at around 35 minutes across ten tracks (including an intro and interlude) Holy Popes’ debut isn’t the tightest album ever, with a few tracks between the hits that outstay their welcome. The track ‘Better 4 U; calls attention to this, not really doing anything musically or lyrically that isn’t done better on the album’s ten other songs and stretching it’s repeated riffs and shouts into 3 and a half minutes. Luckily, follow up ‘Skin of an Ape’ brings back a lot of the lost energy, giving the band more space to experiment with less time, weaving through different dynamics and giving each member a moment in the spotlight between dissonant guitar licks, technical drum fills and truly impressive bass shredding.
Lead single ‘DBT’ manages to put across its anti-consumerist message in a refreshingly straightforward way. By following a time-tested rock structure, with a reverb drenched, walking bassline and high pitched and sharp, strummed guitar lines backed by a stripped-back beat, Holy Popes can shine a spotlight onto the equally barebones, lyrics decrying instant gratification culture. This track is one of the strongest on the album, managing to distil the post-garage punk spirit into under 3 minutes.
“This track is one of the strongest on the album, managing to distil the post-garage punk spirit into under 3 minutes”
Penultimate track ‘Jerry’ continues this political theming, telling the all too relatable tale of losing a friend to hateful rhetoric fuelled by right wing newspapers. With some interesting rhythmic moments between the shuffling bass and drums and Knight’s vocals building from a slurred drawl to thunderous screams. The guitar work on Jerry is also a highlight of the album, creating a discordant wall of noise at the pinnacle of the song.
The album keeps some of Holy Popes’ best work until the end with final track ‘Slither’, carried by a catchy riff and tight drums. Slither manages to keep interesting despite being the longest track on the album, clocking in at five-and-a-half minutes, careening through a ton of musical ideas culminating in a retro rock breakdown with effects laden vocals and stoner inspired drums. The guitar solos stand out on this track, with a fuzzy 90’s grunge vibe that fits well with the song’s chaotic feel.
Overall Holy Popes’ debut is an honourable first attempt that, despite some inconsistent pacing, manages to freshen up an overcrowded genre. With some fascinating rhythmic sections, excellent basslines and a splash of garage rock swagger filling out their riotous approach to post-punk, Holy Popes are a band with a lot of potential with an album full of stage ready hits.