DEAD HAND tease us during their side of the split, as soon as it melts down into a very relaxed vibe, gently pulsating guitar strings and keyboards.
Hang on, did it say Dead Head or Dead Hand? Oh wait, here are the growls, this is certainly not Jerry Garcia. These vocals come courtesy of gargling razor blades and singing the lines whilst the blood is bubbling up in his throat just before it congeals. I hope you get the idea.
DEAD HAND are a hard working band with split releases and tours behind them. And after the interlude, the whole band release hell on the record, and I can feel the sweat from the energy. Southern Druid has done both acts proud with this invaluable split which could be a doorway in to these bands for some people as it it a terrific introduction.
- Dave Barnard
Noisey - 11/16
I love split releases, and I love them even more when both bands involved seem to be operating on the same wavelength. Mixing it up is a great way to expose one's listeners to a new sound or scene, but it's hard not to love a split that hands out a double dose of a genre you love—and invites you to delve into the respective catalogues of the bands involved. That's one of the strengths of this new Shroud Eater/Dead Hand joint—though they're separated geographically, both bands are fully united in doom.
The specific kind of doom we're talking here is sludgier than most—I wouldn't tag it as pure sludge, but there's plenty of black tar on offer. Shroud Eater subscribe more to the Electric Wizard school of doom—windswept, lost soul vocals, unrelenting grooves, heaps of distortion—while Dead Hand reach for more of a lurching, cosmic YOB-inspired vibe. Whichever poison suits you better, you're going to win out either way, because on both, it all comes down to the power of the almighty riff. (I'm also quite fond of the way both of their names reference death and physical decay, but I'm a ghoul, so.)
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The Burning Beard - Top 20 of 2015
"It's a smooth and well-constructed ramp into the subterranean sludge which forms most of the album, and with it, Dead Hand quickly establish their fondness for unearthing new facets of each song with a natural-feeling flow to the changes."
Ride With The Devil - 7/15
With an EP and a split (joined by Repellers) already under their belts, the Georgia-based crew of Dead Hand have moved on to their first LP, and it's a belter. Starting off with straining distant guitar waves, insistent percussion, and a muffled vocal sample in "Resign To Complacency", the band takes its time establishing a chilly atmosphere before smashing in with their more energized vocals. It's a smooth and well-constructed ramp into the subterranean sludge which forms most of the album, and with it, Dead Hand quickly establish their fondness for unearthing new facets of each song with a natural-feeling flow to the changes. That inventiveness also leads them to try out material the average modern sludge band would be unlikely to attempt, pulling in influences from death and doom for passages both elegant and brutal, in turn and in combination.
"Trailed by Wolves", the album's big-hitter at ~15 minutes of heaviness, feels like the album's best showing of those tendencies, with its numerous drastic musical shifts chaining together; similarly, it drifts seamlessly into the title track, which finishes its run with a focused central riff, as though the eye of the eponymous storm has brought its calm. That extends into the post-rockish "1/13/12", which at ~3 minutes of measured picking from the guitar feels like a quick bridge by the preceding songs' standards. Album closer "The Last King" begins by drawing that sedation up by the neck, giving it an almost military march setting before the vocals arrive to herald the coming violence. It's a satisfying close to the album's various moods, and the album as a whole comes together fantastically. Probably too dangerous to use as driving music, though.
~ Gabriel
For Fans Of; Gnaw Your Tongues, Heavydeath, Naught, The Nepalese Temple Ball, early Opeth
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Stu's Reviews - 7/15
American doom band who formed in 2013 dont seem to have any sort of bio just some blurb that reads: "Deadhand collective is The creation of self without the acknowledgement of hidden hands. No homage needs to be paid for the labor of dead men. We are not the traveled path nor the heavy wood ahead.We are still, settled into the present. Our altars are our own two feet and the tops are scattered words and actions that make up our present form".
A good mix of psychedelic/space rock sounds over vocal samples introduce 'Resign To Complacency', progression of the song brings dark vocal growls all mixed in with keyboards and a solid doom influenced backing.
Funeral Doom is the basis for'Ground To Ash', simple and uncompromised until we get near the end for some melodic and laid back guitarwork.
Next is the epic 14 minutes of 'Trailed By Wolves', this is a surprisngly laid back and highly melodic piece full of beautiful guitar playing.
'Storm Of Demiurge' is another well executed song which then leads into a nice litle instrumental '1-13-12'
Finally 'The Last King' another great mix of psychedelia/doom and prog, lots of clever and well thought out timing chnages, solid drumwork and just generally a brilliant song!
Rating 9/10
For fans of: Saturn, Pohjoinen, Hela, Cathedral, Albez Duz, Witchcraft
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The Grim Tower - 7/15
Dead Hand is a sludge/doom band on the label Third I Rex. I gave their new album, Storm of Demiurge multiple listens and enjoyed it every time. This 5-piece from Georgia has the sludge down when they want to, but they also incorporate a lot of post-metal tendencies which brings the doom and contemplative atmospheres. I’m hearing a lot of doom with the ebbs and flows similar to bands like YOB or ISIS even. (Bands with all capital letters…) The heavy guitars parts have a nice and crunchy tone and the vocals fit great in the mix. The vocals, along with the rest of the band, sound a lot like Cult of Luna’s earlier work, especially on “Trailed by Wolves 14:12″. The double kicks are used very sparingly, which would be a great way to emphasize the heaviness, if only they were more prominent in the mix.
Although Storm of Demiurge is not pushing any boundary too far, it is a very consistent album with no filler tracks. Dead Hand know how to find a meaningful chord progression and they know how to build it up. This makes them a very promising band. (Bill Masino)
(6 Tracks, 47:00)
7/10
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Orlando Weekly - 4/15
Georgia headliner Dead Hand, however, was a finished and widescreen experience. With keyboard-expanded instrumentation and the panorama of post-metal, they’re like a truly doomed Red Sparowes whose bleak beauty unfurls like a slow-mo sweep over the ruins of fallen kingdoms. And even in a small, windowless room, the deliberate slow-burn of their music was oceanic. - Bao Le-Huu - Orlando Weekly
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Ride With The Devil
Dead Hand - 2014 EP (2014)
From the wilds of Georgia emerges this two-track EP debut from Dead Hand, whom we featured last week on a split with Repellers. The band's page states that a full-length is on the way, and that these two songs are half of the material intended for inclusion on that imminent arrival. The first of these, “Ground To Ash”, begins with a quote from Stephen Hawking about the illegitimacy of authority systems, which leads quite naturally into some grinding, sludgy doom metal. There's some funeral doom to it, some post-core (mainly in the intense but sometimes low-mixed drumming), but it's generally all swirled together without regard for those conventions, in keeping with the opening sample.
The second track, “The Last King” begins in a more subdued manner, with a steady drum-beat laying down a path for the gently-picked guitar melody, while bass hums in the background. Moving past point after point where they might be expected to jump out into a big, loud burst, the band gradually develops the energy until they can sweep smoothly into a more violent mode. With a sharp guitar tone that floats along on reverb, the second half of the song packs in signature changes, heavy riffs, and escalating tension, before finally releasing into the same quietness with which it began.
It's a promising start for this group, and with their split on Divine Mother Recordings already selling fast, it doesn't seem too farfetched to imagine the same will happen for the full-length, once it arrives. Keep your ears open for more to come!
~ Gabriel
For Fans Of; Unearthly Trance, Black Freighter, Integrity, Oak & Bone, November Coming Fire
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Ride With The Devil
Repellers / Dead Hand - Split 7in.
This split, issued by Divine Mother Recordings in vinyl variations of a translucent bottle-green, translucent green with black and white splatter (already sold out!), and standard black, brings together Pennsylvania's crusty metal-punks Repellers with Georgia's more overtly-doomy Dead Hand. The Repellers sport some sick bass licks, raw vocals, inspired drumming, and buzzed-out guitar over the course of their two songs, “Blood, Bone & Soul” and “The Riddle Of Steel”, putting in a strong showing for themselves over 7 minutes or so of gnarly, nasty venom, as they rail out and drive themselves forward
Dead Hand's side consists of a single track, “Apex Parasite”, and flipping over to it is something along the lines of stepping out of a basement thrash party and into a hard-blasting storm with some dangerous hail swirling about. The vocals and strings roar, the drums ring out like thunder, and there's even a relatively calm eye of the storm, filled with sharp tones of feedback, before being caught back up in the body-tumbling force of the song's conclusion.
It's a release that does right by everyone involved, and each band brings a strong, inventive approach to their music, which will grab you and shake you by the throat if you let it. There are plans for a second pressing, with some design elements adjusted, so if you want a copy of the original, now's the time to act.
~ Gabriel
For Fans Of; Halo Of Flies, Funeral Horse, Trees, Eibon, Contagium
MaximimRocknRoll
Repellers / Dead Hand - Split EP
"...DEAD HAND kinda surprised me as they play an interesting slab of sludge with some sorta Neurosis-y breaks and riff repetitions. But they mostly reminded me of Thou and Graves at Sea if the latter had much deeper vocals." (JD) - MaximumRocknRoll #372
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Radio Static Philly
"Thinking much couldn’t top the A-side, I flipped the record and the Dead Hand side rotated their brand of doomy, sludge induced stoner metal with Apex Parasite. It’s detuned slow guitar riffed madness mixed with distorted bass, pulsating, complicated drum work and grimy vocal assault leaves you with little to nothing left to want from this effort." - Radio Static Philly
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Inhale The Heavy
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The Doom Review
Let me first off give a nod to how fucking cool that song title is.
Just in case you are a bit slow, have you ever heard the term Apex Predator? Yes? Ok now alter your perception and subsequent imagery to replacing Predator with Parasite.
See what I mean? BAD ASS.
The song kicks off with a feedback swell into a hybrid riff that to my ears is 3/4 Isis, 1/4 early Era Emperor.
The vocals sound like Aaron Turner in a leather jacket with a Corrupted back patch.
At 1:47 a very primal groove locks in with the drums and bass, where all other instruments are slowly brought back in, once brought to the apex of this ascenscion, there is an anti-climactic return to some riffs from the beginning.
Now I have a very positive relationship with anti-climactic build ups...I have shown people songs of a similar principle to be asked, "But it just builds up and just goes back to what it did before?" EXACTLY. That's what it does, and its fucking awesome. Don't Like it? Start your own band and you can make the apex of your own song climactic.
Call it overthinking...but could the refutation of a climax at the apex be the sonic form of the song matching the form of it's title?
To me, climacticism in music is Fantasy and anti-climacticism is Reality...both have their place, deciding to favor one over the other only cheats you from viewing all of the windows this form of art has to offer.
This was sold as a screened CD(Sold Out) to fund mastering this for a split 7" with Repellers. As far as I can tell from DIVINE MOTHER RECORDINGS this will be out soon but for now you can listen to the unmastered version at the bandcamp above.
Toneparisons: Kongh, Iceburn, Dead Hand
-Stonerhound
