Hands - Give Me Rest

North Dakota natives Hands are taking everyone by surprise with the release of their new album Give Me Rest. Before listening to the album, I thought Hands were just going to be another metalcore remake with nothing to show. Man, was I wrong. Hands music is very powerful and combines elements of metal, post-rock and ambient. They are the first real spiritual band that I have reviewed and are dedicated and motivated enough to put a heartfelt message in their lyrics, such as "let there be light, to reveal everything we've become". Give Me Rest is a very positive record and that is one of the many great things about Hands' music. The music on Give Me Rest sounds a lot like a mix between Isis, Misery Signals, My Epic, Trenches and even Jimmy Eat World, but with more of a post-rock production. Ochsner's vocals switch between deep throaty growls to beautiful harmonies, while the atmospheric guitar work and hard-hitting percussion put the final touches on the tracks. The songs on Give Me Rest are very unconventional and the album opener 'I Will' proves this fact. A fast, hard-hitting drum beat starts the track, followed by Ochsner's screaming, which then leads into circling atmospheric guitar work. 'I Will' definitely starts the album off with a bang. Give Me Rest is a concept album about a man who is weary of the world and finds hope in God. 'Water' is a very aggressive and melodic track that really shows Ochsner's vocal potential. Most tracks on the album follow this approach, especially 'Cube', 'Here I Am', 'Jovian' and 'Northern Lights'. The track 'The Helix' moves through like a distorted freight-train while tracks '2005' and 'Restart' are rhythmic and follow a harmonic pattern. The album ends with 'Give Me Rest', which is the longest song on the album and the lyrics at the end of the song are breathtaking; "Here I sit among the clouds. I was wrong, You were right. Give me rest! Give me rest!" Overall, Hands' Give Me Rest is a heartfelt, emotional, and beautiful album. It is unlike anything you have heard before in this genre because it bends the boundaries of traditional song-writing. I really enjoyed this album and I hope you do just as much. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Hands Give Me Rest. You will not be disappointed.

Check out the track 'I Will' off of Hands Give Me Rest: