Holy Wars feels like their stuck in the 90’s, but not in the way that you might think. The influence doesn’t come from the neon and classic sitcom vibes that are back in the limelight now, instead, pulling influence from rockstars like Liz Phair and Marilyn Manson. The two couldn’t exist on further ends of the spectrum, but somehow, Holy Wars mastermind Kat Leon has managed to effortlessly bridge the gap on their brand new song, “Cruel World.”

When asked to speak about “Cruel World,” vocalist Kat Leon said “Cruel World is a song that highlights the not so pretty parts of Los Angeles and the music scene and though this song was originally written much like a journal entry about my observing period in LA, it is a message that expands throughout the world and what I feel our society has become. During my break away from music and playing live shows, I took that time to just observe and listen and it’s amazing what you witness when you open your eyes…. all the monsters that lay beneath the masks and the fangs in their smiles. Sometimes tragedy can awaken you to the world around you. The loss of my Mother and my Father would be the catalyst to open my eyes to myself and others. It became clear who was a friend and who would love my personal fall, those who would be secretly Vicious. Our whole album, “Mother, Father” has been about awakening and a raw honesty sung like an autobiography. “Cruel World” would be a chapter during my time of grief. The dark nature of this song spotlights the need for admiration, perfection, and various escapes from reality while we lose ourselves in this dance of darkness. “They will eat you alive” if you let them and this idea is sung calling attention to the next generation of cool kids and outcasts. This is a song for the outcasts.

You can hear “Cruel World” below.

Mother Father is out November 3rd. Pre-orders for the record are available here.