Holissstik Premiere ‘Chapter I: This Endless Solitude’

As a founding member of the critically acclaimed Manes and Lethe, Tor-Helge Skei has pushed the boundaries of both black metal and electronic music. Now, after more than 30 years, he’s expanding his vision like never before with Holissstik, a dark collective experiment that features fellow underground legends and rising stars from the avant-garde.

“As the unsurpassed work of Mr. Tor-Helge Skei of Manes, This Endless Solitude cannot be praised enough”, New Noise writes in a 5 star review. “[…] the proper reaction to this milestone is speechlessness, pure silence”.

“With each new spin, you discover more and more, and it’s rich with emotion”, Dead Rhetoric writes in an 8.5/10 review. “That, my friends, is the power of music in a nutshell”.

Chapter I: This Endless Solitude comes out tomorrow, Friday, August 14, but you can hear all eight endlessly rewarding songs today by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.

https://youtu.be/CVZHuFIUrOA

“The inspiration for Holissstik comes from the Greek word Hólos, which is the root for the English word ‘whole’”, Skei says. “Collaboration is the heart and soul of this project. The idea is that each part cannot exist or be understood when separated from the whole. The sum is greater than its parts”.

Pre-order & Stream

https://orcd.co/holissstiktheendlesssolitude

Available formats

CD Digipack with alternative cover

12” Vinyl (Black)

12” Vinyl (Clear, green and purple marbled)

As could only be the case, Holissstik’s opening chapter started with Skei alone at his studio. But after meticulously sketching This Endless Solitude with his collection of guitars, recording software and homemade plug-ins, he allowed outside influences to take control. The album features more than 15 collaborators, including Martyna Hallas (Rage of Light), Marita Hellem (Martyra), French rapper Pierre Ripka, Paritta Monks and members of Manes and Lethe. It unfolds with surprising twists and turns right from the start, too. Lead single “The Rhythm of Silence” slips seamlessly through the cracks between trip-hop and industrial noise into rap.

Much like the wilted flowers that lay on its cover, death and its psychological offshoots linger in the many corners of This Endless Solitude. Hypnotized by soft spinning synths, “Reoccuring Dreams” quickly descends into a nightmare. But amidst deep-seeded anxieties, intrusive thoughts and other ceaseless discomforts, like a rope that guides one out of a cave, Holissstik still cling to hope. “Hold it gentle / In the palm of your hands”, Halas offers during enchanting centerpiece “Would You Take This Heart”. As the title track ends the album by turning into the light, it’s not so much an invitation as it is an invocation to become something greater than ourselves.

With This Endless Solitude, Holissstik emerge as a boundless, unified force.

More advanced praise for Chapter I: This Endless Solitude

“This Endless Solitude represents the ideal entry point into Tor-Helge’s infinitely rewarding catalog for new fans and a glorious continuation of his ever-surprising boundary-smashing supremacy for longtime devotees” – Metal Insider

“Step inside, surrender the genre labels and let the album do what it’s built to do” – Rock DNA Mag

[…] a very fluid mix of electronic elements and organic rock instruments” – Abysmal Hymns

“This project is risky, very risky, because the only thing holding it together is that Skei stays the course. But curiously, the album is surprisingly easy to listen to despite the large number of contributors. It’s impossible to pin any kind of label on it” – Acta Infernalis

“Skei masterfully composes a cohesive opus characterized by transformation and creativity” – Offering Webzine

The Rhythm of Silence (7:06) My Salvation (5:27) Projections (3:20) Obsession Six (6:26) Reoccuring Dreams (6:31) Would You Take This Heart (5:50) Behind Me (4:48) This Endless Solitude (6:34)