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Hand To Hand: Design the end / Follow the horizon

11/05/09 || Khlysty

Before I start reviewing Hand To Hand, I’d like to say a few things, so as not having to repeat them EVER AGAIN! OK, then: emo sucks my hairy sweaty balls BIG TIME! And when I say emo, I’m talking about this shit that’s being called as such during the last few years. For us in the know, emo was –and still is- one of the most powerful and significant musical statements made in the late ‘80s – early ‘90s, originally coming from the fruitful D.C. hardcore scene, with bands like the godlike Fugazi, The Rites Of Spring, The Nation of Ulysses et al. That’s emo and everything else called nowadays “emo” is just a smear of shit under the heel of my most dirty Doc Martens.

Now, on with the show: Hand To Hand seems to be a youngish quintet from Orlando, Florida and if you think that their roots point them towards death metal, you’re fuckin’ dead wrong… “Design The End/Follow The Horizon” is their third recording venture, following “Fast Forward Your Thoughts” (EP, 2004) and “A Perfect Way To Say Goodbye” (full length, 2005), none of which has graced my ears so far. From what I hear from their latest, though, the band seems to be targeting the “emo” crowd, which, in my opinion, is really a shame, since they seem to be capable of something more than becoming followers of such a lame trend.

While listening to the record, I started to mentally tick off the stuff that really pisses me off: twin vocals –one of the screamo type, the other clean? Check! Guitars that sound like they took their cues from bands like At The Drive-in? Check! Some minute ventures into spazzcore? Check! Really clean production with mainly compressed drums? Check! Break-fucking-downs? Check! Shout-along choruses? Check! Ballads with screamo vocals and pianos and shit? Check! I mean, c’mon, you guys, what’s this? The fucking textbook, or sumpthin’? Not to mention that some of the songs brought to my mind Therapy? and their songwriting style and execution.

As I’ve said before, that’s a damn shame, because the band seems to have the chops to move beyond the straitjacketing of their chosen style and create original and creative music. They are with a pretty good record company, which seems to really believe in them, so they should really take the needed step away from “flavour of the week” sounds and find their own voice. See, the guitarists know their shit and most of the time deliver the music with the appropriate bite and venom. Also, the band as a unit is tight and knows how to lay down some good riffs, as displayed during the final song of the record (an instrumental, by the by, and the longer track of the cd).

So, I decide that I’ll give them the benefit of doubt; I’ll be waiting for them to move above and beyond expectations, to make something really fucking mindblowing and original. For the time being, I’ll listen to them a few more times (the music is enjoyable, even if it sounds pretty derivative…) and then I’ll move on to the shit that really tickles my brain. C’mon, guys, you know that he who dares, wins…

6,5 out of 10.

Information
Released: 2009
Label: Lifeforce Records
Website: Hand To Hand MySpace
Band
Rob Kellom: vocals
John Radford: guitar
Arturo Matamoros: guitar and vocals
John Raudebaugh: bass
Danny Strong: drums

Tracklist
01. In This City
02. State Of Emergency
03. Last Saturday Was Way Better
04. I Drew A Portrait In Philly
05. Mr. War Within
06. The Lion’s Den
07. Passing Through
08. Love Muscle
09. Los Muertos Caminan
10. Let’s End This Album With A Party

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