“I’m seeing the ceiling disappearing.“
Savage Hands, in the wider context of the alternative and post-hardcore genre, are a fairly new act. Emerging in 2018, and releasing their debut LP The Truth in Your Eyes in 2020 during you know what, they are one of the many fresh bands who have had to navigate rocky terrain throughout most of their existence. Among all of this, they have landed themselves upon the roster of well-known label, Sharptone Records. Now their path has lead them to Rock Bottom, which sees some weathering begin to take affect on Savage Hands‘ sound.
With “Angel Dust“, there is a steady opening with a deep groove on the bass that soon gives way to a jumble of tropes and generic lyricism in a style that seems pulled from a Theory of a Deadman record in 2005. As “Feed me to the vultures, you can steal my thunder” and “That sickness you can’t live without” are uttered, Rock Bottom quickly becomes a test of endurance, which is further tested with the frequent use of “Hang me out to dry” as a vocal hook.
There isn’t much deviation from this style of lyricism throughout Rock Bottom, with “Can’t live in my brain, think I might just go insane“, “I‘m not so spiritual, I might need a miracle” and “Find the straight and narrow, staring down the barrel” adding to the radio-friendly nature at hand. While none of this is disagreeable and delves into emotional issues, the sheer shallowness of its narrative has been exhausted over the years, and there is very little, if anything at all, to be felt.
Sonically there is a blend of 2000s rock influences with some thumping riffs that do give Rock Bottom the element of an easy listen. While it may not be a sound that would be actively sought out, it’s the sort that, if it came on, wouldn’t be immediately turned off. The final track, “Smile“, does offer a feature from an unnamed female vocalist, which does add somewhat of a fresh element, even if the lyricism of “I don’t want to die, knowing that I lived a lie” continues to add to the emptiness of Rock Bottom.
While there is clearly no ill-intention with Rock Bottom, there is little here that makes it a worthwhile recommendation. Unfortunately, it seemingly adds itself to the ever-growing list of bands such as Kingsmen, Beartooth, For The Fallen Dreams and Of Virtue that sing lamenting choruses about modern day struggles with minimal nuance while sticking to the rock music™ formula.
3/10
Rock Bottom is out this Friday, April 7th via Sharptone Records.