Hallowed Hands - Bleeding Pixels

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HALLOWED HANDS is listed as a Progressive/Post-Black outfit out of Madison, Wisconsin, USA. They released a debut full-length album in 2015, and are now back with an EP titled “Bleeding Pixels,” which contains four tracks. “Bullet Hell” sounds a bit more like Post-Hardcore to me, though there are some Progressive and Black Metal elements here as well. The vocals are varied from shouts to deeper growls. The music is very dissonant. It’s an odd short song that really defies categorization. “Urge Mountain” brings a little more structure and melody to the table. The guttural vocals are absolutely ripping. They definitely win points on creativity here, but I’m just not sure what to make of the music…it’s so strange and unique.

“Perma-Death” opens with some electronica, which carries through when the brutal vocals enter. The pace is a bit slower, and when the dual vocals come into play, the anger is dialed up a notch. The vocals then are sung in according to that electronica, and this is one weird song. “Final Form” closes the album, with more of that eerie electronica, and an almost rapping vocal cadence. The melodic passage towards the end is actually very well done, with the harmonized lead guitars and an overall melancholy feeling.

I’ve always maintained that it’s hard to get a sense of an album that has only four tracks, but in this case, it’s clear…I have no idea what this band is trying to get across. The sound is so unique and strange…at times I hear some Black Metal and Progressive influences, while other times is sounds like Death Metal to me. They blend genres and really defy categorization, but I am unsure who this might appeal to. Someone looking for something out of the box for sure, but I am not sold on their identity from the album.

Songwriting: 5
Musicianship: 7
Memorability: 3
Production: 6

https://bluebedroomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bleeding-pixels