NEXT DOOR TO HEAVEN Reimagine Sevendust’s “Holy Water”

Los Angeles-based Russian progressive metalcore outfit NEXT DOOR TO HEAVEN have returned with their rendition of “Holy Water,” originally performed by Sevendust. The cover puts the band’s progressive approach behind a song from one of alternative metal’s influential acts, while vocalist Daria Mazunova brings her clean vocal delivery to the center of the performance. Known for combining heavy guitar work, progressive structures and melodic songwriting, NEXT DOOR TO HEAVEN use the cover as another opportunity to explore the balance between weight and melody that has remained central to their music.

Mazunova’s clean vocals provide the defining melodic element throughout the track, allowing the emotional character of “Holy Water” to remain prominent while the band approaches the song through their own heavier musical framework. Her background as the band’s vocalist and lyricist has been an important part of NEXT DOOR TO HEAVEN since their formation, with her expressive voice consistently providing a strong contrast to the intricate guitar-driven arrangements surrounding it.

The cover also follows a catalogue that has seen NEXT DOOR TO HEAVEN continually move between progressive metal, metalcore, djent and more atmospheric territory. Their 2021 Inside EP pushed further into metalcore while retaining progressive experimentation, with guitarist Evgenii “Gene” Mazunov handling guitar, bass, arrangements and composition alongside Mazunova and drummer Pavel Lokhnin. The band have continued releasing new material since then, including the 2025 single “I Will Follow.”

With “Holy Water,” NEXT DOOR TO HEAVEN add another interpretation to their evolving body of work, keeping the focus on powerful instrumentation and Mazunova’s clean vocal presence. It is a fitting showcase of how the band can take familiar material and filter it through their own progressive metalcore identity.