Just couple of days after I got this CD for a review I bought their previous album, Another Lesson Learned, on the Ebay just to learn that there hasn’t been any radical change in style between the two. By My Hands still delivers heavy, metallic hardcore with slick breakdowns, but somehow they sound less generic that most of the bands of this kind.
The first track, Real, is a strong introduction to the album and basically sets the tone for the rest of the songs. The riffs are heavy, the rhythm section lays down the tight groove while the vocals are on point and brutally convincing. The momentum continues on the rest of the tracks and the band manages to mesh the best elements of metal and hardcore. There’s not much variation here, but they focus on areas they best at so the outcome sounds strong after all. Content-wise the band addresses social issues like organized religion or corrupted politicians, but also find space for some personal stuff. The lyrics are written in dark and negative manner with no sidestepping about the ills of today’s world, luckily avoiding sounding pathetic or preachy. Let’s also mention the album features guests appearances from Derek Ski (xRepresentx) & Lee Marshall (Broken Oath).This was released by young but promising label called Marked For Death and they put a lot of effort to make sure the package looks nice. Overall, it all gets down to whether you’re a fan of this style or not. If you can appreciate solid hardcore album that is packed with mosh and testosterone, Growing Older, Getting Colder is definitely for you. I hope, this release get the right level of attention as it certainly deserves it. By My Hands proves that hardcore is strong and kicking in Scotland.
Review by Dloogi
Label: Marked For Death Records
Year: 2010
Band's website
