So You Want Emotional Hardcore?
LeftManOut | TheCityThatNeverSleeps, FL | 11/05/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Then I would recommend you look no further than Hand To Hand. To be honest there's more than enough screamo and emocore bands filling up the scene at the moment, and it's getting more and more difficult to distinguish yourself amongst your peers right now. Enter Hand To Hand. Blending the finest aspects and intensity of hardcore, with the technicality of metal, and the heartfelt emotions of emo, not many other bands can match up to Hand to Hand's sound. Their diverse range of elements however gives them even greater popularity among fans of many different genres, and most everyone can find something about this band to love.
Opening up "Preamble", you get introduced to Hand To Hand's idea of emocore; painful screaming over top of original dual guitar riffs, giant choruses with soaring melodies, and introspective lyrics that almost any listener can relate to. Instead of doing what a lot of bands are doing right now and making some songs soft, some songs heavy, HTH effectively blends their unique sound into each song, making each song equally as memorable as the previous, and not making the listener feel like he or she is getting cheated by getting 2 or 3 good, heavy songs, and a couple good soft ones, and then the rest being throw aways. While some songs are obviously heavier than others ("Reused Direction", "Predictable Gathering"), you never get the sense that the band is out to trick you when it comes to their sound. Songs like "The Arson" and "Insult With Injuries" contain lethal doses of melody as well as aggression, which makes them two of the better songs on the album. There's plenty of interesting guitar riffs, as well as innovative breakdowns found through out the music, giving HTH their own feel, and not making you feel like somewhere before you've heard this band. The biggest standout on the album personally though has to be "In A Name", which is such a good song, without being overly emo or hardcore. You get the perfect combination of moodiness, while hearing screams only in the appropriate places. This is obviously a band that knows what they are doing when it comes to making good music. Personal favorites are : "Allude", "Insult With Injuries" and "In A Name."
This very well may be the best emocore record of the year, seeing as their are few albums that even stand up to Hand To Hand's "A Perfect Way To Say Goodbye." If you're a fan of emo, metal or hardcore, then you definitely owe it to yourself to give Hand To Hand a listen. I guarantee you'll find yourself singing along during the melodies, and finding most of the songs stuck in your head for days. If you ever get a chance, check them out live as well, because they're great. Don't miss one of the absolute highlight albums of '05, pick this up today."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1