- Feb 9, 2005
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The Handshake Murders – Usurper
Goodfellow Records – GFR044 – February 20, 2007
By Zack Attaran
Extreme metal has a wonderful band in The Handshake Murders. Their total immersion in sincere, firm and sure brutality has spawned an unstoppable, eleven track segue into the beloved world which we inhabit. Unfortunately, it is a world that is ready, considering it has withstood numerous aural assaults already, and its weathered surface can surely spit back all that THM has to offer.
Therein lies our first fault: The envelope stays sealed on this one. Acceptable, by many standards, considering revolution can’t be expected with every release, but if the ground must break with everything you listen to, spend your time on more innovative material. Early criticisms aside, though, THM have put together a formidable release under the extreme metal genre, and time was taken to make sure quality was achieved.
THM have captured a palpable anger in Usurper. Their dissonant chords sprinkle a sense of urgency among the tracks and their sluggish, mud-laden progression is caked with a tension that could be cut with a knife. They kick it into high gear with their ultra-tight rhythm section, and deliver a bone-crushing assault with every blast of the snare. Inclusions of abnormal rhythms keep them from classification under metalcore, but the roots of such decisions can certainly be traced back to influences such as Meshuggah. The vocals are blistering, and add a necessary aggression to the mix, but belligerency is sometimes achieved in the lyrics.
In the end, THM aren’t kidding around. They’ve blasted onto the scene and appear ready to set up camp for quite some time. Certainly, some errors are embedded within Usurper, but it is definitely a release that is worth your time.
Official The Handshake Murders Website
Official Goodfellow Records Website
Goodfellow Records – GFR044 – February 20, 2007
By Zack Attaran
Extreme metal has a wonderful band in The Handshake Murders. Their total immersion in sincere, firm and sure brutality has spawned an unstoppable, eleven track segue into the beloved world which we inhabit. Unfortunately, it is a world that is ready, considering it has withstood numerous aural assaults already, and its weathered surface can surely spit back all that THM has to offer.
Therein lies our first fault: The envelope stays sealed on this one. Acceptable, by many standards, considering revolution can’t be expected with every release, but if the ground must break with everything you listen to, spend your time on more innovative material. Early criticisms aside, though, THM have put together a formidable release under the extreme metal genre, and time was taken to make sure quality was achieved.
THM have captured a palpable anger in Usurper. Their dissonant chords sprinkle a sense of urgency among the tracks and their sluggish, mud-laden progression is caked with a tension that could be cut with a knife. They kick it into high gear with their ultra-tight rhythm section, and deliver a bone-crushing assault with every blast of the snare. Inclusions of abnormal rhythms keep them from classification under metalcore, but the roots of such decisions can certainly be traced back to influences such as Meshuggah. The vocals are blistering, and add a necessary aggression to the mix, but belligerency is sometimes achieved in the lyrics.
In the end, THM aren’t kidding around. They’ve blasted onto the scene and appear ready to set up camp for quite some time. Certainly, some errors are embedded within Usurper, but it is definitely a release that is worth your time.
Official The Handshake Murders Website
Official Goodfellow Records Website
