Holy Roar Records

Holy Roar Records was a British independent record label founded in London in early 2006 by Alex Fitzpatrick and Ellen Godwin. The label developed from Fitzpatrick's earlier university-era attempt to organize a small label project in Birmingham and initially operated as a part-time venture. Its first releases included Rolo Tomassi material, the Phoenix Bodies album Raise the Bullshit Flag, and a split involving Kayo Dot and Bloody Panda. These early projects established a broad musical identity spanning experimental rock, hardcore, grind, punk, and heavy music rather than a narrowly defined commercial genre. In 2007, Holy Roar issued releases by artists including Gallows, Chronicles of Adam West, and Chariots. The label's growing workload led Fitzpatrick to leave his day job and make Holy Roar his principal activity. Over the following years, it became a prominent participant in the United Kingdom's independent heavy-music ecosystem, releasing and promoting more than 150 records according to the label's cited biographical material. Its catalogue and artist relationships connected it with post-hardcore, screamo, math-oriented heavy music, metal, punk, and experimental scenes. The label also pursued activities beyond conventional record releases. It joined the Pink Mist collective, an alliance with other independent labels and promoters intended to pool resources and expand the reach of participating artists. Holy Roar contributed to Pink Mist's limited Record Store Day release Hello Pink Mist in 2011 and to the free digital compilation Hello Pink Mist Volume 2 in 2012. Pink Mist later operated pop-up retail and performance spaces, while Holy Roar participated in music-industry and festival initiatives. Holy Roar curated or hosted stages at Offset Festival, Incubate Festival, The Great Escape Festival, and partnered with ArcTanGent Festival and Shock Records. In 2015, the label launched Truthseeker Music as a sister imprint headed by Alex Leat. Holy Roar also produced a podcast series beginning in April 2015, hosted by Mario John Gambardella, which focused on perspectives from the United Kingdom music scene. Its industry recognition included nominations for the Association of Independent Music Awards and the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, including nominations in independent-label categories. Holy Roar's operations collapsed in September 2020 after two women publicly accused founder Alex Fitzpatrick of sexual assault and rape. The allegations were denied by Fitzpatrick, and the referenced account states that no legal action was taken. Several associated bands publicly condemned the alleged conduct, and all Holy Roar staff members left. Fitzpatrick announced his resignation on 9 September 2020, saying he would focus on clearing his name. The label subsequently ceased operations and was officially dissolved on 30 March 2021. Artists and planned releases were redistributed elsewhere; Sammy Urwin and Justine Jones of Employed to Serve established Church Road Records shortly afterward and released several projects that had originally been planned for Holy Roar.

Holy Roar Records began in January 2006 after Alex Fitzpatrick moved to London. Fitzpatrick had previously experimented with a small label project called the communion with friends during his university years in Birmingham. He and Ellen Godwin then established Holy Roar as a more serious independent venture. With the help of a loan, they released and promoted early material by Rolo Tomassi, Phoenix Bodies, Kayo Dot, and Bloody Panda. Phoenix Bodies' Raise the Bullshit Flag, issued in June 2006, is identified as the label's first release. The label's early catalogue was deliberately eclectic within the underground heavy-music field. In 2007 it released records by Gallows, Chronicles of Adam West, and Chariots, among others. What began as a hobby became increasingly demanding, and Fitzpatrick eventually left his day job to concentrate on the label. Holy Roar subsequently built a catalogue of more than 150 releases and became associated with British and international artists working in hardcore, screamo, post-hardcore, metal, grind, punk, and experimental rock. Holy Roar's role extended beyond issuing records. From 2010 it participated in Pink Mist, a London-based label and promoter collective alongside Big Scary Monsters and Blood & Biscuits; Tangled Talk later joined the group. The collective pooled promotional resources and organized shared projects. Its first release, Hello Pink Mist, was a limited pink-and-white 12-inch issued for Record Store Day in April 2011, with contributions from each participating label. Holy Roar's contributions came from artists including run, WALK!, Hang the Bastard, Grazes, and Bastions. In 2012, Pink Mist released the free digital compilation Hello Pink Mist Volume 2. The collective also operated temporary retail and performance spaces, including a Boxpark location in East London in 2013 and a Denmark Street pop-up associated with Relentless in 2014. The label's public profile grew through festival programming and music-scene infrastructure. Holy Roar curated a stage at Offset Festival and hosted one at Incubate Festival in 2014. It partnered with ArcTanGent Festival in 2015 and curated a stage at The Great Escape in 2016. Since April 2015 it also produced podcasts hosted by Mario John Gambardella, featuring guests discussing the British music scene. In 2015, it created Truthseeker Music as a sister label under Alex Leat. Holy Roar was nominated for the Association of Independent Music Awards' Best Small Label category in 2012 and 2016, and received a Metal Hammer Golden Gods nomination for Best Independent Label in 2016. The label's operation ended amid a major controversy in September 2020. Two women made public allegations of sexual assault and rape against Fitzpatrick. The cited account records that no legal action was taken. Fitzpatrick denied the allegations in a statement issued on 9 September and said he was resigning with immediate effect to focus on clearing his name. Bands including Rolo Tomassi, Apologies, I Have None, Svalbard, and Renounced publicly condemned the alleged behavior, and the label's staff departed. After Holy Roar closed, Employed to Serve members Sammy Urwin and Justine Jones founded Church Road Records to handle several releases that had been intended for Holy Roar, including albums by Svalbard, Palm Reader, and Respire. Holy Roar was formally dissolved on 30 March 2021.

• 2021

  Formal dissolution

  [1]Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Holy Roar Records was officially dissolved on 30 March 2021.

• 2020

  Operations collapse after allegations

  [1]Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Public allegations against founder Alex Fitzpatrick led to artist statements, staff departures, and Fitzpatrick's resignation.

• 2016

  Independent-label award nominations

  [1]Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Holy Roar received nominations associated with the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and the AIM Independent Music Awards.

• 2015

  Truthseeker Music launched

  [1]Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label created Truthseeker Music as a sister imprint led by Alex Leat.

• 2014

  Festival and pop-up activity expands

  [1]Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Holy Roar curated or hosted festival programming and participated in Pink Mist's Denmark Street pop-up with live performances.

• 2012

  Pink Mist digital compilation and award nomination

  [1]Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Pink Mist released Hello Pink Mist Volume 2, while Holy Roar was nominated for the Association of Independent Music Awards' Best Small Label category.

• 2011

  Hello Pink Mist released

  [1]Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Pink Mist issued a limited 12-inch Record Store Day compilation featuring tracks supplied by its member labels.

• 2010

  Joins Pink Mist collective

  [1]Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Holy Roar became part of Pink Mist, a London-based alliance of independent labels and promoters.

• 2007

  Catalogue broadens

  [1]Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Releases by Gallows, Chronicles of Adam West, and Chariots helped establish the label's expanding heavy and alternative catalogue.

• 2006

  Holy Roar Records founded

  [1]Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Alex Fitzpatrick and Ellen Godwin established the label in London at the beginning of 2006.

• 2006

  First release issued

  [1]Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label released Phoenix Bodies' Raise the Bullshit Flag in June 2006, alongside early projects involving Rolo Tomassi, Kayo Dot, and Bloody Panda.

A discovery-focused British independent label serving artist-led heavy, alternative, and experimental music communities. Holy Roar combined physical releases, artist development, promotion, festival programming, collaborative label activity, and scene-building rather than operating solely as a conventional distributor.

• Albums and extended plays · 2006

  Recorded music catalogue

  Holy Roar's core output consisted of albums, EPs, singles, and other recordings by artists in heavy, alternative, experimental, punk, hardcore, screamo, and metal communities. The catalogue included both developing artists and established underground acts, with the label emphasizing distinctive artist identities and scene credibility over mainstream genre uniformity.

• Album · 2006

  Raise the Bullshit Flag

  Phoenix Bodies' Raise the Bullshit Flag was released in June 2006 and is identified as Holy Roar Records' first release. Its grind and punk crossover sound represented the label's early commitment to abrasive, unconventional underground music.

• Compilation vinyl · 2011

  Hello Pink Mist

  Hello Pink Mist was a limited pink-and-white 12-inch compilation released for Record Store Day in April 2011 through the Pink Mist collective. It contained exclusive tracks from the collective's participating labels, with Holy Roar contributing material from run, WALK!, Hang the Bastard, Grazes, and Bastions.

• Digital compilation · 2012

  Hello Pink Mist Volume 2

  Hello Pink Mist Volume 2 was a free, download-only compilation issued in 2012 to coincide with the launch of Pink Mist's new website. It extended the collective's shared promotional model and made participating artists available without a purchase price.

• Sister label · 2015

  Truthseeker Music

  Truthseeker Music was launched in 2015 as a sister imprint to Holy Roar Records and was headed by Alex Leat. It formed part of Holy Roar's effort to broaden its label structure and support additional music projects within the independent sector.

• Podcast · 2015

  Holy Roar podcast

  Beginning in April 2015, Holy Roar produced podcasts hosted by Mario John Gambardella. The series featured guests and explored different viewpoints on the United Kingdom music scene, extending the label's role into editorial and community-focused media.

• 2020

  Sexual-assault allegations involving founder Alex Fitzpatrick

  On 7 September 2020, two women publicly accused Alex Fitzpatrick of sexual assault and rape. Fitzpatrick denied the allegations in a statement on 9 September and announced his resignation. The cited account states that no legal action was taken. Associated artists condemned the alleged conduct and Holy Roar's staff left the label.

  Source

Read more

• 2016The Great Escape stage

  United Kingdom

  Holy Roar curated a stage at The Great Escape Festival, expanding its showcase activity within a prominent United Kingdom music event.

  Outcome. The stage provided another platform for the label's roster and affiliated artists.

  Source
• 2015ArcTanGent partnership

  United Kingdom

  Holy Roar partnered with ArcTanGent Festival, an event associated with technical, progressive, and experimental heavy music.

  Outcome. The partnership aligned the label with a specialist festival audience.

  Source
• 2014Pink Mist Denmark Street pop-up

  London, United Kingdom

  Pink Mist partnered with Relentless to create a temporary Denmark Street shop featuring live performances.

  Outcome. The activation combined label promotion, retail, and live music in a central London setting.

  Source
• 2014Festival stage programming

  United Kingdom

  Holy Roar curated a stage at Offset Festival and hosted a stage at Incubate Festival.

  Outcome. The label used festival programming to showcase its artists and the broader underground music community.

  Source
• 2013Pink Mist Boxpark pop-up

  London, United Kingdom

  Pink Mist operated a temporary shop at Boxpark in East London, combining record sales with in-store sessions.

  Outcome. The project gave independent labels a physical retail and performance presence outside the conventional shop network.

  Source
• 2012Hello Pink Mist Volume 2

  United Kingdom · Digital international audience

  Pink Mist used a free download compilation to support the launch of its new website and introduce the participating labels' artists to a wider audience.

  Outcome. The free digital format extended the collective's reach beyond physical retail.

  Source
• 2011Hello Pink Mist Record Store Day release

  United Kingdom

  Holy Roar participated in Pink Mist's limited 12-inch compilation for Record Store Day, using a collective release to cross-promote artists from several independent labels.

  Outcome. The compilation became the collective's first release and strengthened its shared promotional identity.

  Source

• 2020

  Founder resignation and operational closureStrategy

  Background

  Public allegations against Alex Fitzpatrick led to artist condemnation and the departure of all Holy Roar staff.

  Action taken

  Fitzpatrick resigned with immediate effect, and the label ceased operating.

  Aftermath

  Church Road Records was created to release several projects that had been planned for Holy Roar, and Holy Roar was formally dissolved in 2021.

  Source

• 2015

  Launch Truthseeker MusicStrategy

  Background

  Holy Roar sought to extend its label structure beyond its main imprint.

  Action taken

  The label launched Truthseeker Music under Alex Leat.

  Aftermath

  Truthseeker operated as a sister imprint within the broader Holy Roar activity.

  Source

• 2010

  Join the Pink Mist collectiveStrategy

  Background

  Small independent labels faced limited promotional resources and distribution reach.

  Action taken

  Holy Roar joined Big Scary Monsters and Blood & Biscuits in Pink Mist, later alongside Tangled Talk.

  Aftermath

  The collective enabled shared compilations, promotional activity, pop-up shops, and artist showcases.

  Source

• 2006

  Move from hobby label to active independent businessStrategy

  Background

  After early releases gained momentum, the label required more time and operational attention than a side project.

  Action taken

  Alex Fitzpatrick left his day job and made Holy Roar Records his priority.

  Aftermath

  The label expanded its catalogue, artist roster, promotion, and festival activity.

  Source

1. 1Holy Roar Recordsen.wikipedia.org