From the moment of our first breath to the very last gasp we take before we die, we never stop growing as people. Every trial and tribulation, every heartbreak, success and failure, every scar, blemish and wrinkle is another brushstroke illuminating our life’s unique canvas. As Holding Absence frontman Lucas Woodland sings on “The Angel in the Marble,” the closing track on his band’s outstanding third album The Noble Art of Self-Destruction (released on August 25th via SharpTone Records), we are, each and every one of us, “a puzzle, a painting, a work of art in the making.”

Holding Absence’s new album is a testament to how our life’s story is never fully told, with opportunities for change and growth found in every moment, from the depths of despair to the euphoria of our greatest loves. Whether adding flourishes of colour to an already picturesque painting, or chiselling away at the marble to reveal the beauty within, The Noble Art of Self-Destruction – the final act in a trilogy of records encompassing the first chapter of Holding Absence’s career – speaks to how we are each an unfinished work of art with new meanings and qualities waiting to be discovered.

“The moment this all came together for me was when I realised a marble sculpture has to be broken to become beautiful,” Lucas says of The Noble Art of Self-Destruction’s themes. “When we think of ourselves as growing, evolving and getting better, we often view it as though we’re adding things to ourselves. This album is me discovering that sometimes you have to take the bad parts of yourself away, rather than feeling like you always have to add ‘good’ things. And yes, that can be a hard process and it hurts, but it’s for the best. The Noble Art of Self-Destruction is an album of hope, but you need to go through hardship to find hope. Sometimes, you need to work to find happiness in life.”

A record Lucas describes as a form of self-therapy that sees him more candid and comfortable with his emotions than ever before, The Noble Art of Self-Destruction brims with a level of energy, excitement and sheer weight of feeling that is unparalleled in contemporary alternative music. Whether Lucas and his bandmates – guitarist Scott Carey, bassist Ben Elliott and drummer Ash Green – are performing relatable anthems about imposter syndrome and self-loathing like massive singles “Crooked Melody” and “False Dawn,” gushing love ballads (“Honey Moon”) or existential reflections on suicide (“Death Nonetheless”), the four-piece’s approach on their new album is packed with the kind of vigour that saw Kerrang! label them as British rock’s “new leading light” and Loudwire proclaim the Cardiff natives to be “the UK’s most exciting new rock band.”

Recorded at Canada’s Jukasa Studios with producer Dan Weller (Enter Shikari, Bury Tomorrow), The Noble Art of Self-Destruction builds further into the lore of Holding Absence that sets them apart from many of their contemporaries. Taking influence from a varied array of sources including Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo, sci-fi blockbuster Star Wars and the Japanese pottery art of Kintsugi, Holding Absence’s new LP speaks to the desire of Lucas and his bandmates to create a project that exists as so much more than just a band.