Metal Anarchy

Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to artists that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with Holon.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

HOLON: Well, calling it a “band” might be a bit generous—holon is basically me, myself, and… a very patient drummer named Geir. It started as a solo project when I got tired of bands breaking up faster than cheap guitar strings. I had a backlog of songs collecting dust, and I thought, “If I don’t record these now, they’ll probably be discovered in a time capsule long after I’m gone.”

So I built a home studio, learned way too many things about mixing that I never asked for, and here we are—holon is my creative universe, where I blend progressive and alternative rock, fusion, world music, and whatever else I have picked up in my 47 years wandering this earth.

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

HOLON: Musically? It’s a melting pot. Imagine if Dream Theater, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, John McLaughlin and Radiohead all had a jam session after attending a meditation retreat together—that’s the vibe 🙂

Guitar-wise, I grew up idolizing Nuno Bettencourt—I even bought his signature model back in the day. Then came the prog rabbit hole: Dream Theater, Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd – you get the idea. I also dig odd time signatures, Indian classical music, and the occasional flamenco flourish when I’m feeling spicy. In later years I have started appreciating alternative rock bands such as Radiohead, Biffy Clyro and Coldplay.

Non-musically? I guess I am influenced a lot by philosophy and psychology – trying to keep an open mind and being curious about the world around me. Most of the songs I write are about experiences and emotions from my own life – so it is a way of expressing myself. And if you ask my girlfriend – she is quite surprised by the amount of emotion I splurt out through my music – since otherwise I appear quite stoic.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

HOLON: The latest track is “Samsara”, the first single from my upcoming two-part concept album Love & Behold. It’s a deeply personal track about love, loss, and the whole “finding yourself again after life punches you in the face” kind of vibe.

Why should you check it out? Because it’s progressive without being pretentious, emotional without being emo, and weird in all the right places. Plus, if you’ve ever found yourself staring into the void at 2AM while a mellotron plays in your head—this one’s for you.

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

HOLON: A spiritual awakening. Just kidding—it’s more like me with an acoustic guitar, pouring my heart out in odd time signatures, occasionally forgetting lyrics and laughing it off. Since Holon is mostly a studio project, live shows are rare and intimate—like a fireside chat with existential dread and beautiful chord progressions.

But who knows? Maybe I’ll put together a full band one day and blow some minds in 5/8 time.

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

HOLON: Hopefully somewhere between “critically underrated legend” and “cult favorite in niche prog forums.”

In all seriousness, I’ve got a mountain of unreleased material, and the plan is to keep the music flowing more consistently—maybe even assemble a proper live band, release a vinyl boxset with unnecessarily elaborate artwork, and do a European tour where at least one person in the crowd yells, “Play Samsara!”

So yeah, five years from now? Still weird. Still prog. Still me.