Holy Wars Drop Stirring Cover of Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt
Following a string of breakout moments in 2025, Holy Wars return with a bold and vulnerable homage to one of their key influences — Nine Inch Nails — with a gripping cover of Hurt, now live on YouTube.
Premiering at 5pm GMT, the visual brings raw emotion to the surface, echoing the band’s increasingly fearless artistic evolution. The release builds on momentum from their recent stripped-down, emotionally charged live performance of Hurt at a Los Angeles church — a moment that took off on TikTok for its stark intensity and reverence.
A Natural Continuation of Grief and Grit
The Hurt cover arrives in the wake of Holy Wars’ most recent single, Metamorphosis — a haunting industrial rock offering that channels the same deep emotional undercurrents. Written in the aftermath of vocalist Kat Leon’s personal tragedies, Metamorphosis explored grief as transformation, laying the emotional groundwork for the band’s take on Hurt.
With clear sonic nods to Nine Inch Nails and HEALTH, Metamorphosis was both brutal and beautiful, laced with the sweeping, dramatic energy that has come to define Holy Wars’ sound. Their reinterpretation of Hurt now feels like a continuation — not just a tribute, but a companion piece in a larger, emotionally driven narrative.
Live Pedigree Strengthens Their Rise
2025 has proven to be a milestone year for the Los Angeles quartet. Riding high on the release of their EP Cult Classic via Pale Chord/Rise, the band conquered stages across the UK and Europe — from Download Festival to Germany’s Rock am Ring and Czech Republic’s Rock For People. They also joined Evanescence and Poppy for a standout amphitheatre date in Alabama and supported Kittie on a string of EU/UK club shows.
Their intense tour schedule — capped by a performance at Download on a stacked Saturday bill — has only sharpened their live show and fueled their creative fire.
“You never truly learn who you are as an artist until you hit the road hard,” says Kat Leon. “This past year gave us a ton of confidence and clarity going into the future of this band.”
With a spot on the 2026 ShipRocked cruise alongside Halestorm, Knocked Loose, Motionless In White, and Kittie, Holy Wars continue their ascent with a balance of emotional weight and industrial bite.
