All Seeing Hand - Sand in Glass

I saw this band last year live and I was immediately blown away by how unique their sound was. And loud. And mind bending. This is the New Zealand band's fourth release (as far as I can tell on bandcamp) and I adore it. Not in the way one would adore something beautiful but more like in the way that one would adore a terrifying, evil God, from eons ago.

The ambient pipes(?) and feedback on 'Temple of Bones', which are used throughout the album, create a whirling psychedelic trance combined with a disturbing baritone voice (which I have been told by a friend is Peruvian throat singing) and a chest pounding drum beat, infects instantly. These feedback samples and drums are used to great effect on the single off this album 'Cro-Magnon Corp' , a track which has the freakyist music video I've ever seen (seriously check it out, really weird). 'Lizard Brain' and 'Gravity' have similar levels energy thrusting into your ears with no form of protection to be found anywhere in their filthy, disturbed, minds. 'Dog Eat Dog' and the title track are two very atmospheric rides which transport the listener into strange and mystical landscapes. The last track 'Rag and Bone' samples Jonny Greenwood's 'Open Spaces' off of his soundtrack to There Will Be Blood (something that I plan on writing about at some point as it is incredible). An unassuming song that slowly builds into a psych-rock monstrosity, it is an excellent way to end off the experiance (especially with those strings). 

There is little to fault this album apart from two which I thought need more work. 'Swam' samples fly's buzzing around creating a seething atmosphere, which I was distracted from due to high pitch synths which I personally felt could have been toned down a bit. 'Silicon & Synapse' had these 8-bit samples which were great but I felt did not really go anywhere interesting apart from repeat the sounds needlessly.

Apart from these small fly's in the ointment (music journos are now celebrating the use of connecting language features), this is a very solid album which I want everyone to listen to. I really hope that more people will want to hear these chaps and they don't simply fall into the forgotten, underground  New Zealand music scene, which unfortunately tends to happen to these bands. Their sound is so unique and refreshing that have to succeed, hopefully. So don't waste any more time and listen to it now!!

Cro-Magnon Corp. Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiRxe8YfD9A
Bandcamp page https://the-all-seeing-hand.bandcamp.com/music

                                                                       <#3