Labels: Gaashud – Middle Man Records – Odebygd – Pike – Tell Wilhelm
Review by: MH
I’d kind of forgotten about Trembling Hands and I just reread my review of their split with Wits End last year. I obviously liked it a lot and even used the word “excellent”. For some reason, I haven’t listened to their other stuff – just that track. Laziness, apathy and a bad memory appear to be blame factors but I now get the chance to get reacquainted as their debut LP appears in the review list at CZ.
The song on that split was a good indication as this positively rips right from opener “Equilateral” through to closing track “Monarchs”. Vicious at times, this is some powerful and crashing emo/post hardcore/screamo from Gothenburg. It’s probably lower on the screamo scale as although the vocals are desperate and yelled they are still comprehensible in the main and all the more powerful for that reason. The record is fairly teeming with rawness and face-clawing desperation in a way that will have you recalling various Ebullition bands. It may appear short at only seven songs long but it’s another record that feels cohesive despite the relatively low number of tracks. They’re in good company too with Human Hands having released a six track LP this year. The opener kicks off with some pretty guitar before everything comes crashing in and it’s a rollercoaster ride from thereon in. “Black Clouds Without Silver Lining” is an early highlight. It’s every bit as bleak as you’d expect from the title and the slower breakdown in the middle is superb. “Final Breath” starts with a sombre guitar line laced with a barely audible voice-over sample and, once it kicks in, the track is absolutely desperate, end of the world stuff. It’s an utterly bleak record throughout. “This Is My Gift For You” is a faster rager which falls over towards the end with yelled vocals over a lone guitar before the rhythm section comes back and brings things back to a more tumultuous and crashing ending. The last song opens with a post rocky part before a more spiralling build with the vocals again desperate and wrought. I mentioned post rock and I know that puts some people off but don’t let that worry you as you’ll just notice the influence here and there throughout. This is without doubt an incredibly direct record. Hugely impressed.