Originally formed as a side-project with members of OUTBREAK, the fellas in CRUEL HAND have turned the corner and have made the band a priority endeavor. Prying Eyes is the hardcore/metal band’s second full-length, and the follow-up to 2007′s Without A Pulse, on 6131 Records. Similarities between the two releases are hard to find, as CRUEL HAND sound bigger, angrier, and more evolved on the new outing. From the stomping intro to “Begin Descension,” to the sheer razorburn of “Damaged Goods,” and the seismic breakdown in “Wisdom Pain,” CRUEL HAND sound virulently stricken. There’s a matter-of-fact quality to the band’s songwriting – the swagger in the guitars on “Motions That Lie,” the bombast in the vocals that brings to mind the harsh bitterness of PULLING TEETH and KILL YOUR IDOLS (and a little of bit of PAINT IT BLACK on the title track). Naturally, Prying Eyes burns to the ground as quick as a roman candle, which comforts the incendiary feel to the release just fine. The wheel remains untested, but that’s probably not something that CRUEL HAND are all that concerned with.

Bridge Nine

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