Independent Album – 2026 – Slovakia
To be honest, the genre of metal they perform is quite “challenging” for me.
I wanted to start my words with this sincere confession. Within my personal preferences, I am not someone who always closely follows the multi-layered, intertwined structure of progressive metal. However, Holotropic, reaching us from Bratislava, Slovakia, and their latest work “Individual”, made me set my prejudices aside. With this album, I realised once again that sometimes it is more beneficial to think not just as an “old school” metalhead, but with the reflex of a writer who has been producing content in this scene for 23 years, in order to understand the evolution of music.
Incredible Stylistic Fluidity!
Holotropic offers a 7-track journey that is lyrically complementary but musically independent in character. For those who don’t know the band yet, it’s worth explaining this chaotic yet planned structure:
“We are talking about a structure rooted in the harshness of death metal, but floating in the infinity of progressive extreme metal. This new material, released in February 2026, intends to take the prestigious momentum the band gained with their first album ‘Permeate’ (such as the Radio_Head Awards nomination) one step further. These new songs, forged on the stages of Slovakia, Czechia, Poland, and Hungary, also draw strength from the band’s live performance power. The experienced names in the line-up coming from bands like Besna, 0N0, God Defamer, and Catastrofy explain why the sound is so well-established.”
Musically Satisfying!
So, what lies within the depths of this album? The famous volatile structure of progressive metal merges with the raspy and deep brutal vocals of death metal. But the real surprise lies in the saxophone parts, keyboard touches, and occasional clean vocal choices… The effects resembling film snippets interspersed between the songs and the oriental transitions—as the band also mentions in their own description—pull the listener away from monotony and trap them in a dark ambience.
The album manages to keep you listening until the very last second because it holds a new surprise around every corner. Furthermore, the fact that this artistic depth is supported by the Slovak Arts Council proves the seriousness of the project.
Summary
Holotropic might initially seem “foreign” to listeners like me who are accustomed to the rigid forms of classic and old-school metal. However, for those who love adding ambient, oriental, and progressive elements into metal to reach different dimensions, this album deserves to be listened to over and over.
On a critical note, the sound could have been a bit “meatier,” and the production might feel slightly low-budget compared to the giants of the genre. As for the album cover, it is a work by Inese Voyager, likely a painting or a special piece of art, though we are not fully aware of the specifics. Those interested in the genre should definitely give this work a chance, which says “I am different” even through its visuals.
8/10
