Band: HEAD IN HAND
Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Metal / Black Metal / Doom / Sludge / Ambient / Experimental
Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Metal / Black Metal / Doom / Sludge / Ambient / Experimental
Related artists: ?.
Country: Boston, Massachusetts U.S.A.
Years Active: 2019-present
For fans of: Hope Drone, Somn, Blue Noise, Spectral Wound, An Autumn For Crippled Children, Dakhma, Old Soul, Olam, Show Me A Dinosaur, Underdark and Deafheaven.
Country: Boston, Massachusetts U.S.A.
Years Active: 2019-present
For fans of: Hope Drone, Somn, Blue Noise, Spectral Wound, An Autumn For Crippled Children, Dakhma, Old Soul, Olam, Show Me A Dinosaur, Underdark and Deafheaven.
Label(s): Self Released / Mutual Aid Records
It's October 31st and I had this one already lined up and hot dog does it fit the bill. Massive, heaving, dark, ominous blackened post-metal (or is that just called atmospheric black metal?) by Boston's HEAD IN HAND. I was introduced to them via AJ from Adobe Homes who had me check them out and by golly I'm glad I did. This doesn't need to be lengthy either, as their first release in 2020 isn't really my thing (doomgaze?) and the songs from the 2021 EP ended up on the 2022 EP, thus meaning I've got about five actual songs to review.
So let's focus solely on 2022's 'Unnatural Providence', a five-song journey through Somn, Hope Drone, and early Deafheaven territory although a bit more restrained at times. Opener "Smoking Mirror" is a 12-minute trek through gorgeous misty mountains, past entrancing cave wizards, and into the underbelly of the darkest subterranea. There's a lot more emphasis on movements and structure over speed and ridiculousness, giving the band both a softer side and a gloss of sludge. "It That Betrays" gets into the groove of things quicker than its predecessor and sinks that massive hook in nice and early. Awesome screaming too, all over the course of seven minutes with no lulls or ambient passages. What's one of the best books ever? Why it's "The Lathe of Heaven" by Ursula Leguin, obviously. This is also the title for the apex track that also weighs in around seven minutes and change, but focuses more on lush textures under the screaming instead of sheer power. "Years of Lead" is a mixture of tracks two and three, with closer "I Will Guide Thy Hand" being the epic, crushing, closer you'd expect from such a solid five jams.
Very stoked to see what they release next!
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DISCOGRAPHY
2020 - Solstice Demo EP (stream/donate/download here)
2021 - Return to the Ground EP (stream/donate/download here)
2022 - Unnatural Providence cassette EP (stream/donate/download here)
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(2022) HEAD IN HAND - "It That Betrays" (from 'Unnatural Providence')
(2022) HEAD IN HAND - "I Will Guide Thy Hand" (from 'Unnatural Providence')
(2022) HEAD IN HAND - "Smoking Mirror" (from 'Unnatural Providence')
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HEAD IN HAND additional links
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