With a history of intense, powerful stage performance, HolyRoller’s brand of psychedelic smoke’n’roll keeps heads banging & riffs blazing, and their brand new album on Ripple Music is no exception. “Rat King is our heaviest, most straightforward album to date. Our goal was to create catchy Stoner rock with brutal doom laden riffs throughout. We wanted simple songs with undeniable groove at every turn. Vocals you can sing along to & rhythm that keeps you head banging. Lyrically, our themes revolve around navigating mental health as Adam Cody’s sings about suicidal thoughts and finding peace in being an atheist, substance abuse, political ideologies, aging in the music industry and more,” the band comments.

About the album title, they add: “A Rat King refers to when a group of Rats has lived in such proximity that their tails and fur fuse together over time, forming a mass that has to work together as one. Our message is: work together to accomplish what needs to be done, lift your fellow rats and be a king in your community, however small it may be. Don’t underestimate the little guy. Take a bite out of crime, and most importantly, smoke em if ya got em.”

With a sound that ignites like a fuse, the powerhouse foursome delivers a feral feast of catchy stoner rock and doom metal with gripping melodies and grooves that lock into your spine. Every track on “Rat King” is a sledgehammer to the senses filled with lyrical depth, as frontman Adam Cody howls about suicidal ideation, atheism as solace, substance abuse or surviving the music industry’s grind. It’s raw, confrontational, and oddly cathartic — an album for those who find beauty in the ugly. Fans of ASG, The Sword, Red Fang, Corrosion of Conformity will love this!

HolyRoller formed in 2019 when Adam Cody (Glass Casket, Wretched) and drummer Jay Ovittore (The Pretty Ugly, The 5 L’s) began to jam heavy stoner rock in the vein of Red Fang, Elder & Mastodon. In a unique bubble of time created by the pandemic, HolyRoller was given a one-off chance needed to make countless songs fusing rock, doom, hardcore and punk rock.

Brewing in the smoke-filled basements & dive bars of the North Carolina punk & metal scene: HolyRoller recruited local guitar virtuoso Jim Mayberry with low-end mainstay Jason Kincaid. Together, the four-piece immediately began writing and entered the studio with Jamie King (Between the Buried & Me, The Contortionist) producing the debut effort.

HolyRoller released their debut self-titled EP in September 2020, gathering attention from Atlanta, Georgia-based independent metal label Black Doomba Records, which released their debut full-length “Swimming Witches” in May 2022. HolyRoller have honed their live show with countless regional gigs in North and South Carolina and Georgia, where they supported Crowbar, Spirit Adrift, Atomic Bitchwax and Nebula. In 2023, Holyroller welcomed a third guitar player, Steve Poe. Steve adds to the driving and crushing sonic wall of sound, making live shows something to behold. Holyroller was featured on the Weedian compilation “Trip to NC”.

Holyroller returned to a writing phase in late 2023 and early 2024 and went back into the studio with Jamie King. Before the recording, they parted ways with guitarist Jim Mayberry mutually. They are now getting ready to release their third album “Rat King” on Ripple Music on June 6th, 2025.

HOLYROLLER links
Facebook⎪Bandcamp⎪Instagram⎪Spotify

RIPPLE MUSIC links
Website⎪Facebook⎪Bandcamp⎪Instagram