Los Angeles-based hard rock outfit Holy Wars have released their highly anticipated sophomore album Shadow Work/Light Work, out now via Pale Chord/Rise Records/BMG. This new chapter follows the band’s incendiary late 2023 EP Cult Classic, and finds the band at their most grandiose form yet.
Shadow Work/Light Work is a concept record on grief and overcoming trauma, while returning to the band’s darker and more vulnerable roots and ushering in a new era of hope, light, and ultimately triumph over tragedy.
The album title represents a powerful duality of light and dark within the record, both lyrically and thematically. This also extends to the sonic nature of the record, with tracks spanning the heaviest material of their career to date, paired equally with some of their most tender, uplifting, and melodically rich compositions yet, all while remaining entirely cohesive.
STREAM/PURCHASE SHADOW WORK/LIGHT WORK
Additionally, the band has shared a brand new music video for the anthemic track “Kill the Light.” “Kill The Light” is an apology to the younger self, the one who believed in something better. What starts as emotional burnout reveals something deeper, the slow erosion of identity in a culture where visibility defines value.
Co-written by Josh Gilbert (Spiritbox), “Kill The Light” is an incendiary barn burner of a track with soaring melodic choruses, snappy guitar riffs, electronic flourishes, and uptempo drums providing a blistering anthem for those who seek authenticity and honesty in a world of imitation.
This summer, Holy Wars will also be performing at the 2026 iteration of Warped Tour in Long Beach, Washington, D.C., and Orlando, as well as appearing at Louder Than Life Festival this September.
Stay tuned for more exciting announcements from Holy Wars, as the band will be revealing more tour dates and festival appearances in the coming weeks.
Tour dates:
5/2/26 – Bar Sinister – Los Angeles, CA (Album Release Show)
6/14/26 – Warped Tour Washington D.C.
7/25/26 – Warped Tour Long Beach, CA
9/17/26 – Louder Than Life – Louisville, KY
11/14/26 – Warped Tour Orlando, FL
