Held. is digging deeper.
The trio — Douglas Robinson and Sal Mignano of The Sleeping alongside Coheed And Cambria drummer Josh Eppard — have released “Constant Tension,” the second preview from their debut album Grey, due May 15 via MNRK Heavy.
If debut single “New You Anthem” (feat. Frank Iero) punched hard out of the gate, this follow-up leans into something more unsettled. Clocking in at five minutes, “Constant Tension” pulls at the seams, trading cathartic release for internal friction. Directed by Adam Thomson, the accompanying video expands on the sci-fi-tinged narrative introduced in the band’s first clip, building a visual arc that mirrors the emotional weight of the record.
“’Constant Tension’ stems from an everlasting battle within myself to embrace who I am via internal reflection,” Robinson explains. “It’s all of my strengths fighting against all of my weaknesses. There is a ‘constant tension,’ a violent push and pull within my mind every single day. I let myself down so much, to the point where I often feel like I have to somewhat abandon myself and step outside to try and see the bigger picture, but the hurt inside of me pulls me back into my own thoughts. I go completely blank to try and focus, which, oddly enough, resorts to more tension and more clouded thoughts. It feels like an endless cycle. The lyrics to ‘Constant Tension’ mirror all of this.”
Produced and mixed by Jon Markson (Drug Church, Drain, The Story So Far) and recorded at the Animal Farm in Flemington, N.J., Grey captures a band channeling decades of experience into something raw and reckoning.
Held. will celebrate the album with an intimate listening party on March 5 at Selva in Brooklyn from 7 to 10 p.m. No RSVP required.
The tension is real. And it’s only building.
Pre-order/save the new album here.
