Usurper
THE HANDSHAKE MURDERS released Usurper just a few weeks ago via Goodfellow Records and should be very happy with the effort. It’s a very short, but heavy record that will find a large following in hardcore more so than metal due to the vocals.
The album features 11 tracks which don’t even take an hour’s time to listen to. The band lists their influences as A LIFE ONCE LOST and MESHUGGAH, but don’t seem to really play like either of those legends. Instead, The Handshake Murders sounds like a better, more melodic version of HATEBREED. Vocals are very reminiscent of Jamey Jasta but tend to add a little something extra that pushes The Handshake Murders out of the shitty space occupied by Hatebreed and secures them in the good, developing level of the metal world.
I hadn’t heard of the band until I received the CD but I do like what I’m hearing. I like it a lot, in fact. I would suggest picking up a copy of Usurper as soon as you can make it to a local record store. It’s a good sound that can reach a wide audience!
