| CD REVIEW Hand |
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Band : Hand This Horsham, West Sussex (UK, city situated some 63 kms South from central London), based trio was originally founded by the pair of Kat Ward (vocals, bass, and piano) and guitarist Kieren Johnstone, using synths and drum machines before drummer Cris Nelson joined the twosome in early 2006. As a duo, they had already gotten fairly raving response to their 4-track 2005 demo Chapters. In June of 2006 they recorded second demo (this time a 3-tracker) Shadow: Pord Pain with former Fony guitarist Chris Hamilton as producer. Now, if from these titles so far and the instrumentation used, you were getting the idea that perhaps this trio's music might be into Goth, you would be quite right. Add Progressive Metal to that (and the occasional classical touch) and you would be in-sink. The EP now, which was previously only available as a download on the band's website handtheband.com (currently down for a work-over), got distributed as a hard copy starting February 2007. That same year the trio participated to the AKG Unsigned Heroes competition, and eventually made it to the last 20 acts out of a grand total of over 800 competitors! The year was closed off with a successful support slot for Candlelight recording Goth act Octavia Sperati (Norway). In early 2008, the band signed a deal with the people at Casket/ Copro, and in May they were sent off into the label's own Philia Studios with renowned producer Nick Hemingway. In between the recording/ mixing and mastering, Cris got a deal with FVF Drums for a full endorsement. And quite deservantly so, I would say, becaus ehe is one hell of a good musician! As are the other two in the band, by the way. The guitarist is apparently influenced by the Progressive Rock bands from the '70s and early '80s, at one moment sounding like a Rush spin-off (check out "Resona" for ultimate Rush feel), then as Genesis-touched-by-Modern-Metal. He has an uncanny ability to weave technically challenging but always melodic sound tapestries and is fully capable of carrying the whole in those passages where a song goes into an instrumental passage. Of course, there's also Kat with her signature voice, a combination of sultry tones with an underlaying depressive mood which, when you start to listen to the album a first time, seem to come over as rather frail. But in fact the vocals are the band's strength, and certainly the main element needed in bringing in the Dark, Gothic feel. The piano, played only in two of the 7 tracks (3 of which are from the demos) being the album opener "Manuscript" and "Birth", enhances the Goth feel even more (leaving more room for the Progressive side of the band's music in the other songs). When Kat does not play the piano, she plays the bass, which she equally does darn well, and occasionally with an exciting overdrive distortion (thus creating the sound of a rhythm guitar) for a somewhat livelier passage. With only 7 songs the album is yet still almost 40 minutes long, meaning the tracks all have a respectable length...and yet there is not one moment where you feel things were perhaps drawn out too long! Nah, on the contrary...at the ending of each track I tend to sigh, somewhat displeased of the fact that particular song is over and done. A disappointment which only lasts as long as the next song is started, I asure you, because then there is yet another gem! But don't believe me on my word, you know! Euhm...tastes dó differ, so perhaps you'd better check things out for yourself by surfing to myspace.com/handgothicband, where hAND (you're supposed to write it as sùch) has posted 3 songs off the album, plus one more off the second EP (thus completing the 3-some of songs off that recording). Definitively a band to check progress on! For the time being, gigs are apparently restricted to the UK...and very few at that. We can only hope that the album strikes a chord with the very large Goth scene in Germany...because on the way there, I'm sure they'll find occasion to play a couple of Belgian gigs as well! 91/100 Tony. |