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Scott "Wino" Weinrich is more or less a living legend for fans of the stoner / doom genre and it was no coincidence that Dave Grohl chose him as one of the vocalists for his Probot project. The latest band to feature Wino's talents is The Hidden hand who have releases the follow-up to the 2003 debut "Divine Propaganda". Both lyrically and musically this new act stands out from his previous bands and also most other metal bands. The lyrics deal with politics and environmental issues which makes them quite interesting, at least the reader / listener will have an opinion about them. Musically The Hidden Hand share influences with Black Sabbath and Cathedral just like any other band signed to the Southern Recordings label but The Hidden Hand digress from the well-trodden path in some ways.
First of all, the production and guitar sound is not as massive and dirty as that of Cathedral. Second, The Hidden Hand tend to show some more progressive leanings and they manage to add enough variety to their song writing not to make them yet another Cathedral or Sabbath clone, a trap that so many doom bands don't have the will or power to avoid. The pace varies, they do not repeat the same guitar riff over and over again and they never stand still at the same point for too long. Every song moves forward and never gets stuck in repetitive monotony which is an unfortunate virus the genre has been infected with. From the Monster Magnet vibe of "Half Mast" to the wonderfully suggestive "Black Ribbon", this is an album that never bores you. It is a solid release, not a masterpiece but well worth looking up for fans of the genre.
| Tracklist |
| 1. The Crossing |
| 2. Half Mast |
| 3. Desensitized |
| 4. Draco Vibration |
| 5. Black Ribbon |
| 6. Magdalene |
| 7. Currents |
| 8. Travesty As Usual |
| 9. Coffin Lily |
| 10. Sons Of Kings |
| 11. The Deprogramming Of Tom Delay |
: 48.02
| Buy other Hidden Hand, The albums |
