Photo by: Necroshorns
Official press release:
After more than 30 years, Tor-Helge Skei remains one of the most consistent and surprising talents in extreme music. A founding member of the critically acclaimed group Manes, the Norwegian mainstay, multi-instrumentalist and producer has pushed the boundaries of black metal and the avant-garde. Now, with his new collaborative project, Holissstik, he’s expanding his vision like never before.
Today, Skei is announcing Holissstik’s debut album Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude. The album is the first in a trilogy and arrives with a captivating music video for its genre-busting lead single. While full of regrets, “The Rhythm of Silence” speaks to the collective spirit that makes Holissstik such a unified force. He says:
“Collaboration is the heart and soul of Holissstik. The name comes from the Greek word Hólos, which, in English, is the root word for ‘whole’. The idea is that the music as a whole is greater than its individual contributions.”
Manes member Tor-Arne Helgesen, who contributes drums to “The Rhythm of Silence” says:
“With Hollissstik, we’ve built something that transcends traditional metal by focusing on the ‘holos’ – the beauty of the complete, interconnected whole.”
Fellow Manes member Eivind Fjøseide, who contributes guitar to “The Rhythm of Silence”, agrees:
“Skei and I have worked together on music for more than 30 years. Together, we have a special chemical musical reaction that makes things very exciting”.
Watch the video for “The Rhythm of Silence” below. The video for “The Rhythm of Silence” was directed by Gornoss and filmed at Le Moulin des Remparts in Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts, France.
Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude comes out August 14th, 2026 on Season of Mist. Pre-order it here.
Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude track listing:
- “The Rhythm of Silence”
- “My Salvation”
- “Projections”
- “Obsession Six”
- “Reoccuring Dreams”
- “Would You Take This Heart”
- “Behind Me”
- “This Endless Solitude”
As one could reasonably expect, This Endless Solitude began in 2024 with Tor-Helge Skei alone at his studio in Norway, revisiting unfinished songs from past projects. Over the following years, Skei salvaged bits and pieces while building new components from scratch using his curious collection of guitars, recording software and homemade plug-ins. But even though his approach to the production is hands-on, with Holissstik, he invited outside influences to take control. Skei says:
“After I finished the initial sketches for these songs, I wanted to hear where other people would take with them without being given any rules, limitations or restrictions. ‘The Rhythm of Silence’ was the first song that we made as Holissstik, though the original idea has undergone many revisions, after years of consideration for Manes and Lethe albums. Now, it’s finally found a place as the guiding sign of what we wanted for this project and This Endless Solitude”.
Guided by collaborations with underground legends, rising stars and fellow members of Manes, Holissstik’s first chapter unfolds with surprising twists and turns right from the start. Lead single “The Rhythm of Silence” opens This Endless Solitude by slipping seamlessly between trip-hop, industrial rock and rap. While featured vocalists Martyna Halas (Rage of Light), Marita Hellem (Martyra, collaborator with Manes) and French MC Pierre “K-Rip” Ripka come from different scenes, together, they paint a living, breathing portrait of longing to be part of something greater than ourselves. Halas says:
“Holissstik became my sanctuary, a place where my deepest, darkest and most intimate emotions could finally find release. It’s fascinating how creators from different parts of the world express the same feeling through their own perspectives. Each holds a piece of the puzzle, moving toward a shared sense of wholeness. I’m deeply grateful to contribute a piece of my heart and soul to this unique project”.
Hellem says:
“When I was asked to take part in Holissstik, I immediately felt it was an opportunity to do something new. It gave me the freedom to explore my voice in a more playful and open way. Moving into sounds and genres I haven’t worked with before was both inspiring and challenging”.
Ripka, who’s worked with Tor-Helge on Lethe’s previous two albums, says:
“To me, Holissstik represents what music can offer at its best: a blend of diverse influences and experiences that come together to create something completely new and impactful. As a French rapper, Holissstik is not the kind of project people would usually expect me to be part of and that’s exactly why I chose to do it! I’ve always placed meaning and emotion at the core of my music, and there’s nothing better than such a rich and powerful atmosphere to carry my most introspective lyrics”.