Cold Dead Hands – Novelization

Cold Dead Hands – Novelization / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks / 

The band first lurches in a Fu Manchu o Monster Magnet direction, with the opening calling forth the same general style of stoner rock that those acts (along with early Sugar Ray) created. The vocals kick in and give the track much more of a Foo Fighters sound, while the bass line (linked to the lead guitar) finishes off the general sound with an ode to “Madhouse”-era Anthrax. For continued success later on down the road, Cold Dead Hands really need to go forth and craft their own style. Only subsequent tracks will be able to show whether the act is able to do just that. The talent exhibited during “The Goat Horns” is nothing to scoff at, so prospects are good.

The disc’s second track, “Read Between The Lines”, is odd as all get out. The melody that the band created during the track is reminiscent of seventies punk, while not falling into the same trap as “The Goat Horns”; they are trying to set out and make their own contribution to music. In doing so, they make a great parallel to “Let’s Make The Water Turn Black” by Frank Zappa. “Golden Goose” is a step backwards for Cold Dead Hands. While the track has a high energy and is catchy in its own right, Cold Dead Hands fall back into the same stoner rock meets Foo Fighters style. “The Story of My Life” is a track that breaks the band free of that general sound, and they craft a track that pushes to an earlier time in rock music.. The band has a tremendous amount of talent, but it seems as if they need to continue to work on creating their own sound. If they can do that, the band will be able to fit in nicely with the other retro-rock bands on the market.

Top Track: Golden Goose

Rating: 5.6/10