Following 2018’s seven-track mini-album Barely Alive (SharpTone Records), Maryland post-hardcore mob Savage Hands are set to release their full-length debut The Truth in Your Eyes (SharpTone Records).

Although clearly influenced by the likes of Linkin Park, Asking Alexandria, and Of Mice and Men, Savage Hands still manage to sound fresh and interesting as most songs follow a simple but highly effective formula. Quiet verses tend to be augmented by shouts and screams, and followed by a typically killer chorus as they build towards chunky hardcore breakdowns.

Even though this pattern might not change much, the variation of styles certainly does with the amount of light and shade differing from track to track giving each song a unique life of its own. A band who like to write about turning negative emotions into positivity, this is reflected in the way many of the songs begin with a subdued, shoegazy melancholia before bubbling over into something more cathartic, usually involving a lot of screaming from vocalist Mike Garrow and some serious skin-pounding by drummer Alex Gacek.

Tracks like opener ‘Memory’, the effervescent ‘Blue’, and the upbeat and snappy ‘Break the Ice’ are among the many highlights, as is ‘Demon’ with its Seether-esque intro, and the powerful ‘Rotten Soul’. ‘Crazy’ comes equipped with a short, but ripping guitar solo, while ‘Braindead’ possesses a particularly lurching breakdown halfway through.

Containing more hooks than a fisherman’s tackle box, The Truth in Your Eyes is a powerful release bristling with positive post-hardcore energy.

8 / 10

GARY ALCOCK