Band : Cruel Hand
Album title : Lock & key
Label : Bridge Nine Records
Distributor : Suburban
Release date : 27/07/2010
Release : CD

Ooo yeah...the return of the Cruel Hand...groovy baby! I came across this side-project of a couple of Outbreak members with the release of their 2008 debut album Prying Eyes, review for which was posted 18/12 of same year. In that same review I mentioned how the guys found it difficult to combine their increasing Cruel Hand activities with that of Outbreak, and to solve that problem they collectively left the latter to concentrate on their own thing (Outbreak's only remaining founder member Ryan O'Connor simply enlisted other members to continue his band). For more detail on the Cruel Hand's conception, the members in its line-up, etc...check out the above mentioned review. As a bonus to that bio, I can tell you that in between the first two albums the quintet played shows around the US with Trash Talk and The Mongoloids, hit the States thrice, and did a full European tour as well...no wonder they wanted to hit out on their own.

Having composed new material in the winter of 2009-2010, the band convened at the Getaway Group Recording studios with producer Jay Maas in April to record  the 10 new blistering tracks that make up the new album...which in normal conditions, I would dub “mini-album”, seen as it only lasts just over 21 minutes. However, the songs are so packed of adrenalin one tends to be thankful for the album's shortness. Don't get the wrong idea though: I've been playing the album for a couple of hours now, after already having given it an hour's worth of listening a couple of days ago, and I still get as excited after the umpteenth spin in the cd-player as during that first session! The short tracks may be built for impact, but they also pack a loadful of throat-gripping melodies with plenty of twists and turns for any lover of adrenalized Metallic Hardcore (noóóhhh, do nót go and re-name it “Metalcore”...those are two worlds altogether!). Check it out for yourself by listening to the 6 songs (3 off every album) posted at myspace.com/cruelhand.

By the way, as per usual with Bridge Nine, the album is also available in limited quantity 12-inch vinyl (2 versions: one's sea foam green, the other gray). Leading towards the release of the album, a 7-inch titled Cruel Hand (comprising the album's title song plus the single-exclusive “Still”) in 2 limited edition versions (one lemon-lime, the other clear vinyl). Gotta have, gotta have...or at least, I'll be trying, because I l-o-v-e this stuff! Hence the high rating and inclusion in my year-lists!!!

98/100

Tony.