Self-Released
Something might actually blossom over here in rainy England soon. A nice little underground for emo and screamo is developing more and more. So here’s a relative newcomer.
Human Hands, I believe, hail from near Birmingham, or in the broadest sense from the West Midlands. As a fellow West-Midlander, I feel some sort of geographical connection with this band. After all, the Midlands is for the most part pretty working class and often ignored.
This four-track demo is for the most part a frantic affair of 80s style emo, for people looking for the next step after Rites Of Spring. The first three tracks are spasmodic and very nearly insane; melodies fly around the fret-board with liberal room for noise and occasional dissonance. And the demo reaches a grand climax with the final track “Without Warning” being a well-over-seven-minute-long epic, which given the appropriate level of studio attention could be tear-jerkingly powerful.
The vocals are noticeably dubious; despite the passion behind them, just now there isn’t as much prowess behind them. They work well in the more monotonic shout-like moments, but melodies often fall short and sound strained and struggled, which is more noticeable in the final track. But given time, these could develop, and besides, rawness and imperfections are welcome here.
Human Hands are more than capable musically, and I’m certain that more professional recordings in the future will take the band up a notch. And even though the vocals need work, this demo is still something England can be pleased with. My country will get better very soon.
Rating: 6.5/10
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