Artistically, Holding Absence are at the pinnacle of contemporary rock. The creative vision that’s gone into everything the band have released to date – two excellent full-lengths (2019’s Holding Absence and 2021’s The Greatest Mistake Of My Life) along with a string of fine singles/EPs slotted in between – have marked them out as one of the UK’s best young bands. But what sets the Cardiff four-piece apart from even their strongest contemporaries is the sheer weight of emotive storytelling that underpins the music. Led by charismatic and ludicrously talented frontman Lucas Woodland, Holding Absence have swiftly become experts at their craft, and third album The Noble Art Of Self-Destruction is, even by their lofty standards, the most complete and immersive body of work the ...