This Is As One Split by Loathe/Holding Absence (Sharptone)

This Is As One Split by Loathe/Holding Absence (Sharptone)

Loathe and Holding Absence remain two of the most compelling new entities on the planet – definitely tucked away in the Best Kept Secret files of music – but not for long! This Is As One is a Split EP showcasing Loathe and Holding Absence at the very height of their creative energies, and it’s bound to garner both collectives a good deal of attention. Loathe and Holding Absence met last year as participants on the Blood Youth Tour in the UK. Finding a bond in music that is vibrant, dark and imaginative, the label mates decided a Split Recording was certainly in order – and with the assistance of Sharptone Records, Loathe and Holding Absence has delivered an absolutely astounding soundtrack of auditory intrigue upon the world at large.

Loathe is a young collective from Liverpool who fearlessly push genre boundaries to the extreme. Their sonic output has been epic in scope, and they certainly have the live presentation to back it all up tenfold. Their three songs contained within This Is As One are overwhelming testaments to their studio prowess as well as giving us an sampling of what to expect when they show up to devastate a venue near you. White Hot and Servant And Master will certainly penetrate your soul with a fevered intensity. And then there’s a live recording of It’s Yours, a blast to the senses cementing their bleak and thunderous stamp within the deep psyche of the listener. To describe Loathe as deathcore, post hardcore – or any core at all is just scratching meekly at the surface of something that is truly breathtaking and epic in scope.

Holding Absence from Cardiff, Wales is another wondrously vibrant band on the Sharptone roster of talent. Within the post hardcore, indie rock side of the spectrum, Holding Absence unleashes heartfelt, resplendently pulsating tapestries that are nothing short of mesmerizing. The two selections featured on This Is As One clearly present Holding Absence at their most persuasive and visionary. Whether encountering the impassioned refrains of Saint Cecilia or the stratospheric reveries of Everything, there is a whole lot of inspiration to be found within the Holding Absence experience. With a scattering of outstanding singles and now their participation on the This Is As One split, it’s high time for Holding Absence to present what will surely be a captivating full length debut.

Here’s hoping we see both Loathe and Holding Absence tour together here in the States in support of this amazing recording. Those looking for a wondrous adventure in sound will certainly want to check into the This Is As One Split and discover two unequivocally amazing bands on the rise!

(Review by Ken Morton)

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