Callous Hands - Earth Mover

Callous Hands burst onto the Midlands live scene in early 2019 and made their mark very quickly, soaring all the way to the final of the Coventry Metal 2 The Masses competition before they could count their played gigs on two hands. As with many other bands, the pandemic stopped them in their tracks, but with a glimmer of hope on the horizon for live music, Callous Hands are poised to become one of the truly essential modern bands in the metal scene when concerts return. Earth Mover is due out at the end of the week, and as they put it themselves, 'I mean at the end of the day, it’s heavy as fuck. We hope people enjoy listening to this EP as much as we’ve enjoyed making it'. Their blistering, groove-infused brand of extreme metal indeed has the impact of a ton of bricks and should signal the start of a big chapter for the guys.

A solemn, soft guitar opens the release, before a piercing scream really introduces 'Heed the Call' amid epic-sounding instrumentation. It kicks into heavy, jaunty grooves, complete with tasty lead guitar licks that add interest. It's near-impossible not to headbang along. A gorgeous interlude draws everything back before the crushing climax, full of impressive guitar work from Jim and Eddy. The title track then cleverly comes through the speakers with a production effect that makes the song twist and turn before it even properly begins. With a groove-laden, face-contorting verse riff and a breakdown screaming out for the live arena just past the one-minute mark, it's hugely memorable. Clever switches in groove and rhythm keep the song interesting, and a devastating drop in tempo for the song's final minute calls out to Callous Hands' interests in the doomier side to metal. Although you could probably sum up Earth Mover as somewhere between death metal and groove metal, this is simplistic; there is a lot going on in their sound that is familiar if hard to concisely define.

'Orchestrated Primal Screams' is furiously aggressive from the word go, with technical riffing and a confident swagger throughout. Callous Hands maintain their ambitious approach to songwriting with more subtle rhythmic changes, although these are well-executed and slip under the radar if you don't pay attention to them - arguably, the best way to incorporate such variation. Some of the earliest guitar ideas in Callous Hands' history are on this final song, but as a whole Earth Mover has a real abundance of brutal, catchy riffs that allow each bandmember to shine individually. Adam Kasperek, the newest member of the fold, effortlessly glides through each rhythmic variant with tight, confident percussion. The interplay between the bass and two guitar players is razor-sharp throughout, and the string section know how to balance technicality with sheer power. Provoking thought through his lyrics, Kieran Slater impresses with his enviable vocal range and menacing style. Callous Hands indeed operate as a tight unit, where each member benefits from the talents of those around them.

If you're after a new favourite band to check out when live music's back on, it would be no unwise decision to look no further than Callous Hands; you can only imagine the sensation when these tracks go off live. Three songs doesn't seem like enough (although there are a few more on their Bandcamp page) although each does successfully deliver an iron sucker punch to your skull with every note. This isn't an EP or a band to overlook.

MN