/Holding Sand – ‘On Sleepless Nights’ – EP Review

Holding Sand – ‘On Sleepless Nights’ – EP Review

Holding Sand

Holding Sand are an alternative hardcore band from Tours, France. So far to date the band have one EP and one music video and has done a fair few gigs, just in France though.

The band consists of 5 members:

Pierre– Drums

Coralie– Bass

Matthieu– Guitar

Clement– Vocals

Franck– Guitar

The EP mentioned earlier is entitled On Sleepless Nights, which is also a track on the EP and the track that the band chose to make their first music video for.

The bands EP is a great accomplishment for them and something to get them noticed, there are five songs on the EP for fans and new listeners to have a gander at so if you get the chance don’t be shy.

The track listing for On Sleepless Nights is:

1. The Future Belongs To Heartless Whores

2. On Sleepless Nights

3. Black Is The New Black

4.      What Eyes Betray

5. Shooting Stars

To me On Sleepless Nights is a good start ,not the best but good. I am torn as to whether the genre of the vocals matches the music. The vocals are a kind of screamo, punk and blues wrapped into one, mixed with post hardcore and rock music, it’s an interesting sound but would this sound take the band the whole way?

The EP starts out with The Future Belongs To Heartless Whores, a really hardcore, screamo approach and is in my eyes is the best song on the EP, ‘it all works well together’, timing, vocals and music, however my only criticism to the song is that it sounds like the lead singer has turrets syndrome due to the amount of blasphemy in the lyrics. The songs to follow have the mix of genres that I stated earlier that didn’t really take to my fancy although the lyrics to On Sleepless Nights I found interesting and had some meaning to it, unlike Black Is The New Black, which to me sounded more like a dark poem rather than a song.

The song Shooting Stars also gets a thumbs up from me, I think it is well composed like the first track, there is lots of heaviness to the song in music, lyrics and vocals they all match and compliment each other. I also like the first verse to the song as it reminds me of the movie The Ring, I quote “Throw me down the well, and cover it, you should consider, that maybe she’s a liar”.

Overall I actually enjoyed listening to this EP and recommend the band to listen to, even though they aren’t a hit with me, they could be with you! So give them a listen and if you hear they’re coming to a town near you go see them and report back to us what they were like live!

music.co.uk also wishes the best of luck to Holding Sand!