Holy Roar Records | |
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Founded | 2006 |
Founder | Alex Fitzpatrick Ellen Godwin |
Genre | Hardcore punk, punk rock, extreme metal, experimental rock |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Location | London, England |
Official website | www |
Holy Roar Records is an independent record label run by Alex Fitzpatrick. The label began in January 2006 when he moved to London from Birmingham and put out its first release in June 2006, the Phoenix Bodies album, Raise the Bullshit flag. Since then Holy Roar Records has over 150 releases. The name is actually derived from a vision Alex had whilst on the hallucinogen LSD. The vision came to Alex as he listened to Slayer in the form of a lion with the face of Jesus. Due to the significance of the music and the vision it was decided that the label henceforth be known as "Holy Roar", the holy referring to the face of Jesus, and the roar referring to the lion.
Holy Roar Records was formed at the beginning of 2006, when Alex Fitzpatrick moved to London. After previously trialling out “thecommunion” with friends in Birmingham during his university days and armed with the intention of giving bands the recognition he felt they deserved, he and his girlfriend at the time, Ellen Godwin decided to start up a record label. Utilising a loan, they released and promoted what would be the label's first ever releases: Rolo Tomassi (their first “proper” EP), Phoenix Bodies (a grind/punk crossover band) and a split between the bands, Kayo Dot and Bloody Panda.
In 2007, through a combination of luck and circumstance, Holy Roar Records found themselves releasing records by Gallows, Chronicles of Adam West (tech-metal) and Chariots (screamo). The label was still very much a hobby at this point, but this was soon to change as Alex Fitzpatrick decided to throw in his day job and take the label on as a priority - utilising the support of those around him and taking on other relevant and connected roles such as writing for magazines and driving and managing bands to keep himself afloat.
A couple of years later, Alex had managed to make Holy Roar Records a full-time commitment and since then he has managed to: curate a stage at Offset Festival (2014), host a stage at Incubate Festival (2014), partner with Shock Records, partner with ArcTanGent Festival (2015) and has curated a stage at The Great Escape Festival in 2016. The label are planning to curate another stage at The Great Escape Festival in 2017.