Review Summary: A superb melting pot of twinkly riffs, emotional screams and melancholic atmosphere. A masterclass in modern Screamo/Skramz.
Chalk Hands have had quite a buzz surrounding them in the past few years. The Brighton four piece's melodic and atmospheric take on Screamo has seen them become one of the brightest beacons of the UK's thriving underground scene - scoring them support slots with the likes of Fall of Messiah, Respire, Touché Amore, Joliette, and Frail Body alongside a spot on the line up of ArcTanGent Festival. When listening to their 2022 debut album “Don't Think About Death”, it’s crystal clear why Chalk Hands have garnered such a strong reputation.
Opening track “Fail Grasp Respire” perfectly encapsulates everything the band does so well in one song. We begin with long, drawn out minor chords which transition perfectly into slow single note picking, setting the stage for vocalist/guitarist Antoine Mansion to scream his heart out over the track. Throughout the five minute duration, we also get math rock inspired riffing, gang vocals, and a drawn out and atmospheric bridge. The mix of tempos within the track showcase the band's strengths. There’s a clear Post Rock influence whilst keeping the Screamo sound at the forefront, bringing to mind acts such as Circle Takes the Square and Fall of Messiah.
Chalk Hands keep the album varied via a mix of energetic, riff heavy tracks and slower, pulsing tracks. At just under two minutes, single “Teeth and Nails” is a maelstrom of intricate riffing, duelling vocals, and hard hitting, up tempo drums keeping the energy up. On the other end, we have the Suis La Lune esque “February's New Friends” which starts out with more foreboding and atmospheric single notes before more elements come into play, culminating in a faster climax. Likewise, the closing track is a melancholic, largely instrumental track which slowly builds up layers, culminating in Antoine's vocals bringing us to a trumpet led conclusion. In between the two styles is “A Means to an End” which starts out with the fast mathy riffing before slowing us down into a spacious bridge, allowing the listener to catch their breath before crushing chords bring the track to a close.
The band also keep things varied vocally through alternating vocalists. Both guitarists Antoine and Tommy Hampshire alternate between the intricate riffing and aggressive vocals. This is best utilised on “Teeth and Nails” and “February's New Friends”. For good measure, we also get gang vocals throughout the album as well as the track “Les Jours Passent Et Ne Me Ressemblent Pas” being performed entirely in French.
Between the melancholic atmosphere, math rock inspired riffs, and emotional screams, you can see why this band have garnered such a warm reception since this album's release. The clear passion throughout the album make this a standout modern Screamo album whilst also showing promise for the future.
Recommended tracks:
“Fail Grasp Respire”
“A Means To An End”
“Teeth and Nails”
“Les Jours Passent Et Ne Me Ressemblent Pas”
“Don't Thibk About Death”
