NOVELIZATION...
...is the first proper release by Toronto indie rockers Cold Dead Hands. The band's three-piece minimalist bombast is finally captured with precision and clarity in this intense and heavy performance. The 'magic book' packaging harkens back to the days of 70's classic prog, and the music itself delivers a veritable pop-art smorgasbord of riffs and choruses. No two songs sound quite alike, but all are heavy. "The Goat Horns" is the band's rallying cry, with its rock-and-roll call-to-arms chorus of "When did the goat horns go out of style?" Few bands can match the thunder of this tune; it was designed from scratch to be an adrenalin rush of maximum intensity. "The Story Of My Life" is an even more adventurous track, and currently the popular favourite. It immediately hooks in the listener with a catchy, Beatles-style riff and ends in a thunderous climax. The danceable "Novelization," the hardcore new-wave of "Read Between The Lines," and the Who-style punk of "Golden Goose" each offer an unique, indispensable listening experience. Only all five songs taken in at once gives the whole story of the band... for now!
The Story Of The Band:
Cold Dead Hands started with Ian Strung, the band's singer, primary songwriter, and sole guitarist. Since the mid-1990's, Ian had been writing alternative …
NOVELIZATION...
...is the first proper release by Toronto indie rockers Cold Dead Hands. The band's three-piece minimalist bombast is finally captured with precision and clarity in this intense and heavy performance. The 'magic book' packaging harkens back to the days of 70's classic prog, and the music itself delivers a veritable pop-art smorgasbord of riffs and choruses. No two songs sound quite alike, but all are heavy. "The Goat Horns" is the band's rallying cry, with its rock-and-roll call-to-arms chorus of "When did the goat horns go out of style?" Few bands can match the thunder of this tune; it was designed from scratch to be an adrenalin rush of maximum intensity. "The Story Of My Life" is an even more adventurous track, and currently the popular favourite. It immediately hooks in the listener with a catchy, Beatles-style riff and ends in a thunderous climax. The danceable "Novelization," the hardcore new-wave of "Read Between The Lines," and the Who-style punk of "Golden Goose" each offer an unique, indispensable listening experience. Only all five songs taken in at once gives the whole story of the band... for now!
The Story Of The Band:
Cold Dead Hands started with Ian Strung, the band's singer, primary songwriter, and sole guitarist. Since the mid-1990's, Ian had been writing alternative rock songs and honing his instrumental skills, looking for the right band to perform and record with. In 2004, Ian met Cold Dead Hands members Robin Deyong and original drummer Elena Silina at the Trebas Institute in Toronto. The two players knew they wanted to be in a band, and enjoyed Ian's original demoes enough to give him a chance. Ian's surprisingly hummable songs and unique playing-style - inspired by single-guitar bands like Blur, Cream, and Nirvana - fit perfectly with Robin's huge, Who-style bass playing.
The band's sound was thoroughly contemporary, loud and intense enough for any 'garage rocker' while remaining nuanced and textured. Cold Dead Hands could best be summed up as a heartfelt throwback to the golden era of 1990's grunge and britpop, along with all their fetishes (70's arena bombast, the Beatles, punk and new wave). The band began to win over an audience of disenfranchised "heavy indie" fans. Half-way through 2006, Elena parted ways with the band, and Rob Kisler from FINE MOTOR CONTROL took over behind the kit. Without skipping a beat, Cold Dead Hands had suddenly acquired a huge, ultra-impactful sound.
The band has attained a reputation for intense live performances. Their shows are exhibitions of incredibly tight playing and an over-the-top improvisational edge. The band does what they want on stage; they have the chops to pull it off, and the songs to make it addictive. And they do it all with a stark minimalism - live and on record, individual notes are audible, and withstand close scrutiny. Cold Dead Hands are a well known as a musician's band and have shared bills with bands like The Two Koreas, Cities In Dust, The Postage Stamps and Bionic.
The band's latest and greatest release, the Novelization e.p., is now available to purchase at the band's shows,ROTATE THIS! and Soundscapes in Toronto, and on iTUNES.
