Sounds of Earth

I have to admit, not typically being a fan of metal or even harder rock, I was somewhat skeptical upon listening to Sounds of Earth that I would be struggling to find anything positive to say about it. Luckily, however, I was pleasantly surprised.

Hands's latest offering contains an eclectic mix of both louder and quieter tracks, and in fact, most just may be commercial enough to find an audience. And while there were indeed times during which my more pop-oriented sensibilities found it difficult to listen ("Judgment," "Despair" and "Separation" all contain verses that are either screamed or bellowed incoherently rather than sung), there are in fact hints of real musicianship here, found most often in the instrumental offerings.

For example, songs such as "Beginning" and most especially, the beautifully mesmerizing "Ignorance," are smartly interspersed at just the right times and manage to cut through the noise and bring it back to basics ? just the music, no distractions. This works well, and really serves to put the talents of the individual musicians on display.

Sounds of Earth offers its listeners both a darker and lighter side. The difficulty exists in reconciling the dichotomy and deciding which to like better.