Aural Fixations

THE HIDDEN HAND
Devoid of Color
(Southern Lord)
Devoid of Color, a hybrid CD/DVD, is a sort of stop-gap release for underground metal's Hidden Hand. The CD side contains five new tracks. The title track and "Vulcan's Children" hit the band's usual notes: knotty riffs, pounding rhythms, exhortational lyrics that somehow manage to combine sociopolitical commentary and alternative spirituality. Wino's gruff singing and expert guitar ripping sell these songs. Sung by bassist Bruce Falkinburg, "The Dagger" is a bit unsettling; it's probably the catchiest tune on the record, but the lyrics indicate too much time spent with bad Norse metal records and D&D manuals. ("I'm laid out on the rock, let the rituals begin/Hold this blade up to the sky/Steel is warmed by the sun" etc.) The related cover snap, of a topless woman applying a dagger to her nipple, is cause for alarm as well; when did the Hidden Hand start reading Draculina? Fortunately, the psychedelic instrumental closer "Reprise" gently but firmly wipes away any residual bad taste.

The real story on Devoid of Color, however, is on the DVD side, which features a show recorded at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. The trio pummels the club audience with classics like "Five Points," "Desensitized" and "Travesty as Usual," adding "Devoid of Color" and the new instrumental "The Key" for spice. Wino calmly displays his mastery of the Les Paul and SG guitars, his tone glorious, his balance of when to rely on taste and when to revel in excess expert. Falkinburg provides dynamic counterpoint, leaping around the stage and flailing at his four-string when he's not screaming into the mic. But the secret weapon, as with so many metal bands, is drummer Evan, whose jazzy fills and relentless thrashing belie his absolute control over the beat. The camerawork and editing are occasionally amateurish, but not enough to smear the quality of the performance. The addition of a couple of home movie scenes is a bonus; who knew Wino was such a dedicated gardener? ("One thing this garden has taught me," he says as he takes a bite from what looks like a green apple," is that if you're good to Mother Earth she'll be good to you.") Though not exactly a best-of, the DVD side of Devoid of Color serves well as an entry point into the heavy universe of the Hidden Hand. Michael Toland [buy it]