Being their first single of 2020, there couldn’t be a more perfect time for Holding Out to drop their grittiest and rawest track to date. Permeated by chugging, doom laden riffs and lyrical content that paints an ugly picture of an uncertain future yet to come, the track is a refreshing shift away from the three piece’s melodic hardcore roots and further into a contemporary post-punk influence.
‘Gutter’ is an obvious fresh air for the band, leaving behind the Dimebag Darrell-influenced shredding guitar solos and melodic choruses of the band’s previous work for a tighter, rougher sound that echoes influence from bands such as Idles and Slaves. This is supported immensely by the incredible production work from the band, as the guitar sound is kept up with a high level of grit and power whilst avoiding being too overbearingly loud, bringing the group’s musicianship together as a tighter outfit. Furthermore, the track’s lyrical content relentlessly exudes dreary themes of hopelessness and uncertainty without remorse. This is a massive step up from the band’s previous recordings, giving the listener a more powerful and raw experience as the track crushes it’s way through a multi-faceted structure.
As Nottingham-based maniac Jack Mee smokes back a fat one on the single’s cover, Gutter stands as a perfect Holding Out offering for our current not-so-perfect times. The single proves to be an exciting moving-on point for the band, displaying a new direction in style and a tighter sense of ability and character as a three-piece.
GUTTER is available now on Spotify.
