Poniedziałek 28 Maj 2007, 22:08

Genre: Heavy Metal
Label: Self-production
Playing time: 63:37

Tracklist:

01. March of the Condemned
02. 1314
03. The Tenant
04. Room to Breath
05. Never Be Your Fool
06. The Hour
07. Brutal Hands
08. In the Heart of the Young
09. Red Lightning
10. To Hell In a Limousine
11. Battle In the Sky
12. Focus

Recently I gave the first album of BRUTAL HAND another spin and it blew me away right from the start. I don't know why I wasn't that excited when I listened to it the first time but in the meantime, I have to say, that this one rocks. The band delivers pure Heavy Metal with a cold, gloomy atmosphere on this self financed album.

The guitars, in contrary, are really hot and the strong, not overly bombastic melodies are breathtaking. Their sound is somewhere between RATT (just listen to "Room To Breath"), PANTERA in their "I Am The Night"-era and restrained METAL CHURCH. Especially vocalist Brad Bowles reminds me often of Mike Howe (ex-HERETIC, ex-METAL CHURCH).

The keys are mainly subtle but they can also be dominating like in the ballad "The Hour". The most songs are held in midtempo areas, while the last three or four songs are bit faster but in no way Speed Metal. The drumming and especially the cymbals are bit too much accentuated but hey, this is a still a self financed album.

Anyway, this album means fun and best examples are the very catchy "In The Heart Of The Young", the sluggish but driving riffs containing "1314" or the jauntily rocking anthem "To Hell In A Limousine". And there are still some gems among the other tracks.Brutal Hand