Hands of Despair – Hereafter (2015)

Hailing from Canada, today we have Hands of Despair 2011 debut release “Hereafter” finally pressed on CD by Deathbound Records. Featuring a very unique mixture of Death/Doom/Black Metal, this release is truly a gem as it has tons of replay value just to discover all little elements thrown into the mix by the band. Featuring Egan O'Rourke of Daylight Days handling clean vocals in two of the six songs, this album has something for everybody and will appeal a wide variety of listeners.

Opening in a doomy and atmospheric manner, “The Departure” nicely sets a very melancholic mood that is quickly unsettled by the harsh growls of David-Alexandre Brousseau but perfectly offset by Egan’s clean vocals. Clocking in around 10 minutes, this is one hell of an opener. Nearly with a 180 degree twist, “Shattered Memories” blasts off with some furious Black Metal-esque riffs and very dramatic atmospheric elements. While having plenty of atmospheric passages, this track is also quite heavy and rooted with Death/Black Metal elements.

Perfect for some neck-snapping time, “Them” delivers crushing Death Metal riffs and a nightmareish vocal combo of Pierre-Aleksandr Plessix nicely complemented by the female vocals of Vanessa Lapierre Chevarie. This track is quite unique as it slowly morphs into something completely different by the time it is over, something very similar to what happens to one of our personal favorites: “Underworld”.

The madness behind “Creator” makes this the center piece of the album, thanks to the multiple influences very efficiently combined in this piece. Closing strong with the epic “The Road”, we are again treated to a combination of atmospheric brilliance and very solid (and different) vocal styles bordering again in Death/Doom territories. Overall, “Hereafter” is one of those releases that are very well crafted and present so many influences, taking more than a few spins to fully digest them. If you like atmospheric music and are quite open to a mixture of things, then this album will greatly appeal to you as it is very unique and engaging.

Label: Deathbound Records

Release: March 24th, 2015

Genre: Experimental Metal

Country: Sweden