Open Hand

Trustkill gets their wuss on with their release of The Dream by Hollywood, CA's Open Hand, but in a good way. While not as incendiary or heavy as some of the current underground fare emanating from Cali (Taken, 18 Visions, Bleeding Through, etc.), Open Hand shares the same fascination for melody so rampant in the underground, only they've expanded that interest beyond dabbling/contrasting and made it their main mode of attack. Blending numerous melodic/indie rock and post-hardcore influences together to create a catchy and intricate sound that's reminiscent, at times, of Failure and Quicksand, and at others comes close to revealing what Poison The Well or From Autumn To Ashes would sound like with the all-out aggression used minimally. Obviously it has huge crossover potential, and tracks such as opener "In Your Eyes," "11th Street," "This Is The End" and "Never Alone" attest to this fact. However, despite its pensive melodic nature and excellent contrasting, if fleeting, moments of rage and heaviness, Open Hand can occasionally come a little too close to sombre Foo Fighter/Filter-ish alternative fare. But the beautiful packaging, musical intricacy and more hits than misses ensures that The Dream will persevere.