Review Summary: Exactly what an EP should be: a stopgap to ponder over and refine what worked last time, while adding new ideas into the fray.
It’s an exciting time to be a HolyName fan, because, if you’ve been following their creative trajectory up to this point, with
Three Bar Cross you are witnessing the band fine-tuning, polishing and experimenting with their already intriguing sound. If this is your first time hearing about HolyName, they are an Orthodox Christian metal band that released a very solid debut LP back in 2023, which took broad and inventive strokes in terms of the sounds it utilised, using a suite of guests to elevate its gambits and spread the word of God and its teachings. When I reviewed their debut album there were a couple of criticisms in there, but the take away overall was that
HolyName felt like a skilled band feeling around in the dark, trying to discover themselves sonically. Tommy’s voice on that record is ethereal, delicate and created a nice dichotomy with the guests that prominently provided harsh vocal work. However, Tommy’s approach didn’t really focus on sharp, memorable melodies and hooks, more on lyrical messaging, and as a result it made the album feel a little long-winded and homogenous at times. Still, it was clear as day HolyName were on to something, and with a little nous and exploration they could define themselves in a way that stands out from the rest of their peers.
Is
Three Bar Cross the peak of their creative evolution? Not by a longshot. What this EP does do though is it displays the ingredients for a very intimidating sophomore album. The songwriting on
Three Bar Cross is sharper, hits harder lyrically and compositionally, and it improves on what came before it. “Ritual” is a hard-hitting hardcore tune with a stomping groove, grinding basslines and some catchy drum patterns, while Green lays down his bread-and-butter approach heard on the self-titled record. However, it’s on “Stained Glass” where we see HolyName taking massive strides creatively. Everything on this track taps into something special, from its haunting guitar ambiences and driving drums, to the way the song flows and progresses. It’s catchy, heavy, poignant, and extremely effective stuff with a cathartic finish. The key ingredient in it all though is Green’s vocals, which showcase him really pushing the boat out and delivering something with a lot of weight behind it.
The aforementioned tracks are the singles off this EP though, so what are the other two tracks like? Well, they’re a shade disappointing if I’m honest – largely because of the untapped potential with “Christ Has Risen”, and the relatively cookie-cutter nature in which “Blood” is executed. “Christ Has Risen” is essentially a non-descript intro track you’d ambivalently skip if it was on an album, but the lament comes from the fact it could have been so much more. The track opens up like a divine hymn that slams into crushing chugs and booming bass drops that abruptly fizzle out just as the momentum is at a fever pitch, amounting to nothing, while “Blood” leans dangerously close into that soullessly derivative pop-metal sound most would roll an eye at. The problem isn’t that they’re bad; it’s that they’re undercooked and not fully realised. Both have great ideas in them.
Still, this is a quick, quality offering that does exactly what it needs to: moving the band forward – fine-tuning and improving old ideas while implementing new and exciting elements along the way. If the band perseveres in this way and continues to experiment, chip away at and refine the established framework, their sophomore album will be a worthy event. And I’m here for it.
