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Internationally renowned New York metal vocalist Mike Tirelli founded HOLY MOTHER along with Randy Coven and Jim Harris in 1994 . Mike exploded onto the scene as the vocalist of Jack Starr's (ex- Virgin Steele), Burning Star. Needing to stretch his wings Mike left Burning Starr and teamed up with bass virtuoso Randy Coven, who has recorded with music icons Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen,Mountain, Brad Gillis & Al Pitrelli as well as a prolific solo career. Jim Harris also lent his skills and talents to building HOLY MOTHER. Also a veteran of Burning Starr, Jim's other credits include Sony recording artist Dirty Looks . In 1995 their self entitled album HOLY MOTHER put the band on the map as alegitimate heavy metal voice world-wide.In 1998 HOLY MOTHER released their groundbreaking power metal album, Toxic Rain. Hard touring, including performances at major heavy metal festivals all over Europe,left an unforgettable impression on the critics and metalheads throughout the world. Subsequent releases"Criminal Afterlife" and "My World War" released in 1999 and 2000 earned the band greater success and built upon an already fanatical fan base.In between HOLY MOTHER releases, the band experimented and had some fun in the industrial genre resulting in the release of "Tabloid Crush", under the moniker NOW (Not Our World).Record label complications lead to the band parting ways, leaving Mike seeking a new label and new band members.It wasn't long before Mike and manager Rayner Hansel of Cultural Minority signed with S.P.V. Steam Hammer in April 2001. With greater resources at his disposal Mike recruited drummer extraordinaire John Macoluso (TNT, Yngwie Malmsteen, ARC) and Randy Coven once again for pre-production of the next HOLY MOTHER album. Mike added Axe master Tommy Hellbent (Rondinelli),who contributed his signature solos to the new CD.Technical problems with the drum tracks and Macoluso busy recording elsewhere caused Tommy Hellbent to suggest to Mike to enlist Hard-Hitting drummer Frank Gilchriest (Virgin Steele) to re-record the drum tracks.Along with Tirelli's disturbing and beautiful lyrics and undeniable vocal prowess now make up what is being called the definitive lineup of HOLY MOTHER.The result is the mother of all HOLY MOTHER Albums , Agoraphobia. This brilliant performance by the Long Island,New York based metal band is being received as a landmark effort. Combining elements of both Nu and traditional metal this music takes chances and the musicians push themselves to the limit. Mike Tirelli, along with a little help from his friends, crafts a refined explosion of sound, rhythm and attitude that will leave a dent on the metal landscape for years to come..=========================================== HOLY MOTHER AGORAPHOBIA CD RELEASE REVIEWSHoly Mother - Agoraphobia Review on taken from www.revelationz.netHoly Mother, Holy Shit! One of the most middle finger in-your-face take no shit aggressive metal albums out there. It’s defiantly a breath of fresh air for some who want something different in the Metal scene besides all the power and symphonic Metal that we all know and love so much, as well as some of us that just want to rock out with a stripped down blast of riff driven guitars. Agoraphobia combines the raunchy splendor of bands like Sleeze Beez, Asphalt Ballet, and a more aggressive Guns and Roses, giving this record the same feel as per say, Skid Row’s “Subhuman Race,†remember how aggressive and heavy that album was. The album stays constantly heavy throughout, lacking any ballads, keyboards, or any overproduced schlock, creating a more down to earth vibe. The songwriting toyings prevent the album from falling into any cheese factor, while creating an anthem-like atmosphere for many of the record’s cuts. Agoraphobia opens up with the Nevermore-ish “Success†then quickly follows up with the bassline/low guitar groove of “Modern Day God†reminiscent of the old school Bang Tango meets early Pantera, you can say it’s an odd combination, but just listen to this record, it’s there. Like most of the songs on this record, the groove and the melody take precedent along with a high strain of tight chops. The guitar work coincides with aggressive drumming that fits well with the gritty vocal style, not to mention the lyrics are a cynical take on many themes that have been absent from Metal lately, just look at some of the titles. Other key cuts on the record are the spaced-out riffed laden “Hungry for Exxstacy,†the Sabbath-esque “Skitso,†and the dark “Nympho.†To sum it all up Holy Mother has laid upon us one hell of a Metal album, completely heavy, beyond any expectations that I might have had for the record, thinking by the cover that it was going to be another power Metal band, but yet that is another lesson learned in the whole “don’t judge a book bys its cover†phrase. For the last word, this album should satisfy all Metalheads looking for a more down to earth record filled with riffs and void of any bullshit. Rating: 8/10 Hashman - 8/14/2003============================================ HOLY MOTHER "Agoraphobia" CD 74/100 Heavy Metal U.S.A. taken from www.beyondwebzine.com/inside/eng/reviews_en_summer_03.html"S uccess, is the Future" they sing in their first song called "Success". Well, yeah, they deserve to have success now, after releasing their fifth record so far. If you take a look at the line-up, you'll find quite an impressive list: Mike Tirelli (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), bassist Randy Coven (worked with Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai) drummer Frank Gilchriest (worked with Virgin Steele) and lead guitarist Tommy Hellbent ( worked with Rondinelli). In the studio they were helped by drummer John Macoluso (TNT, Malmsteen) and Herman Frank (Moon'Doc, Victory). Anyway, the music is dynamic Power Metal, in the vein of Seven Witches, but with more driving force in it. It immediately catches the listener by the balls. The drums bring a lot of variation; the rhythm and lead guitars are also impressive. The singer sometimes reminds me of Tim Owens (now ex-Judas Priest) which is not a bad thing at all in my opinion. Despite all of this, they need to make good music too…and they do! The record starts strong with songs as "Success", "Modern Day God" and "Heaven's Door". Then it continues with the title track and "Hungry For Extasy". Sixth song, called "Society, Anxiety" is another very strong track. "Skitzo" and "Nympho" aren't bad either. The Black Sabbath cover "Never Say Die" is good but nothing out of the ordinary. So is the last song "Sheer Erotica". My conclusion: this album starts very well, with really good songs, but at the end it gets a little bit less convincing. Still a more than good effort, which I advise you to investigate.Mr Moshpit ============================================ .
