For Holding Absence, artistry is more than just simply lyric-writing or notes on a guitar. The Cardiff, United Kingdom four-piece has made a name for themselves in evoking emotions through their songs, whether it’s the fragility of “Afterlife” or perhaps the guilt within “Birdcage”. Their tunes resonate so well that they comfortably sit at more than a million monthlies on Spotify and are attached to tours with the likes of Dayseeker, Senses Fail, and other genre greats. A band that’s relatively on the newer side, there’s still a deep discography to sift through ahead of The Noble Art of Self Destruction. Shares the band, “Our first album was about love, (the second) about loss, and this album is about the person that’s left at the end of that”, revealing this record to close out a trilogy. Within that theme, does The Noble Art of Self Destruction stick the landing?
In keeping with the containment of The Noble Art of Self Destruction being a sequential end that ties into the delivery from their first two major releases, there’s a certain standard that Holding Absence are expected of at this point. This album can’t stand to have filler/weak tracks, but Holding Absence doesn’t have many to reference; even the non-singles possess high-quality, catchy hooks and melodies. This is evident in the first impression, “Head Prison Blues”, marking the territory of anthemic choruses from Lucas Woodland that goes beyond tugging at heartstring and instead channels sorrow and desperation. Lead single “A Crooked Melody” cements this with lyricism that are less performative and more deep-rooted truths coming from Woodland’s yells.
The Noble Art of Self Destruction is not a happy album, but it’s one where listeners will relate and revel in nonetheless. That continues with “False Dawn”, as the band denotes it as “A somewhat defeatist song about denouncing expectations, and coming to grips with failure.” The bridge in “Scissors” delivered goosebumps to me as this bleak, poignant run is the best moment on this half of the record. Major key is rare for Holding Absence, but last single “Honey Moon”‘s chorus brings about a hopeful tone for a change, as the night sky makes for lyrical imagery in this gorgeous piece.
The instrumentals in “Death, Nonetheless” showcase that even if Holding Absence is a frontman-centric group, the intrinsic talent behind the entourage deserves the spotlight just as much. The Noble Art of Self Destruction carries on with “Her Wings” as I’m led to believe that this band’s bridges are just as prolific as their choruses, as Woodland hits some huge high notes before this track closes out. “These New Dreams” continues that theory as I found my attention was drawn to the bridge as the rest of this track showed some long-listen fatigue, also felt in “Liminal”. “The Angel in the Marble” truly is the standout track, being six minutes of reflection, acceptance, and “I am a puzzle, I am a painting, I am a work of art in the making” being the best way to close the book on this album.
The Noble Art of Self Destruction‘s highest highs far outweigh its few lows, as longtime fans will be rewarded with this trilogy-closer in some of the best tracks Holding Absence has created to this point. “Head Prison Blues”, “Honey Moon”, and “The Angel in the Marble” are going to get several replays from me for 2023 and beyond. This is just one step closer of Holding Absence being a household name in post-hardcore, as their winning formula meets masterful songwriting yet again. While this record is more front-heavy, the album ender cannot be understated. Look to stream The Noble Art of Self Destruction this Friday, August 25th.
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