Holdstrong formed in the Spring of 93', with core members Matt Myrdal and Bill Cole. That summer they replaced the original singer with Chris Berthiaume and recorded their first effort "Gaining Ground," which was released as the first record ever put out by Pin Drop Records, and which proved to be the start of success for both the band and the label. After a few lineup changes and an extensive amount of local touring, they were ready to release newer material, which formed the basis for their CD "Nothing In Return" (PDR04) and which ultimately gained them a national level of notoriety and distribution. At the time of that recording, an almost permanent lineup of the band included Chris Berthiaume on vocals and Tim Carlson on bass, in addition to Matt and Bill. Second guitarist, Dan Reynolds was added right after the "Nothing in Return" CD came out. With a new fuller sound and a new CD out the band embarked on a very successful national tour. Upon returning, they hit the practice space with fury, churning out even more intense material. With the addition of permanent bassist Desmond Connolly, they recorded four songs to release as the 7" "Pursuit In the Face of Misfortune" (PDR06). Unfortunately the recording had to be rushed to have it out in time for the upcoming tour that was planned. Amazingly the songs came out incredible! Some of the best material Holdstrong has ever recorded. A second national tour in support of the "Pursuit" 7" hit the streets in the summer of '97. The tour took Holdstrong and Grimlock all over the US including places as far away from their home(MA) as Seattle, WA, California, Arizona and Denver, CO. They were lucky enough to hook up with some other great bands when they were out on the west coast. Bands like Harvest, Endeavor, Eyelid and Painstake.