Hands Like Houses - Dissonants

Hands Like Houses
Dissonants
2016
Spotify

Post-Punk, Post-Hardcore, Alt-Metal; the list is almost as long as those trying to define house music genres. However Hand Like Houses seem to be less concerned with defining themselves and more concerned with actually rocking. From the first note the music of Dissonants is aggressive and loud, but with an emo twinge that doesn't age the music just gives it somewhat of a grounding. It is like early Thursday with better production and less screaming (though there is a fair bit). Each track is razor sharp almost completely throwing away any fuzz you usually get with music this big and aggressive. However as they clearly show on "Colourblind" the band is not fully ready to retire the Hardcore sound completely. There is a lot on the record that will sound like someone else, their influences are really right on the surface and even though they blend them together well you cannot help but hearing them as the songs unfold. There could be a lot of choices the band could have madento soften the edges of these tracks, and make the much more palatable to a wider audience, but instead they keep the pace and power of each song almost exactly the same never compromising. This record is more about power than anything else and letting that raw power flow and speak for itself.

For those that have never attended a punk of hardcore show you really can't understand what goes on in there. The shared movement, the singing and screaming together, it all creates this really special space and what Dissonants does is capture a bit of that magic. You can feel the people pressed against you, and the hands in the air as they sing the chorus, it really is quite incredible how they are able to paint a really vivid picture with their music. Their hooks are also extremely melodic and anthemic basically begging the audience to sing a long with them. Where they fail is in just how one note the record is. Each track sounds a bit different, but has almost the exact same progression: fluttery intro, aggressive hook, rinse and repeat. "Momentary" breaks with that form for a moment, but quickly reverts back to the tried and true way of doing things. By the time you get to the later tracks it is hard to imagine that you are going to hear anything new and in reality you really don't. While the record is not long at 44 minutes, that amount of time of almost the exact same template over and over again is trying to say the least. There are for sure some bright spots on Dissonants but the album expects you to be all in from the very beginning and doesn't allow the record to unfold, just track after track of a punch to the face. Worth a listen, but don't expect to fall in love.

6.0 out of 10