A four-piece outfit from Surrey, UK, hAND approaches the Progressive Rock/ Metal genre from a left field perspective, willingly incorporating aspects of Gothic and Alternative music. Their third album "Kintsugi" is my first exposure to their sound, and I must admit right away that I was floored and blown away by their dazzling abilities and translating them into palatable songs.

"Level One" immediately takes off on a dizzying keyboard/ guitar/ bass run, slowing the arrangement down 15 seconds in, but giving the listener multiple aspects to absorb on a Melodic and Progressive level - as bassist Kat Ward glides over the top vocally in a mysterious, semi-Alternative manner. Tom Johnstone as a keyboardist doesn't just throw down typical virtuoso runs, as he will often inject sound effects or smaller echoing nuances that can also be very ear pleasing - they can be swirling, almost 80's-ish computer sounds in "Windlestraw", or heavier as in the frantic "Volcanic Panic".

hAND knows how to mix up their arrangements and sounds: getting very funky and eclectic on "Nebula" where Kat and Kieren play off of each other in a riff tango as Dan dazzles from a rhythmic perspective, especially in the triplets snare and cymbal off-time antics, then very jazzy and reflective on the follow up "Amazing Burn". Favorites vary depending on the day or time I take in these tracks: right now I've been giddy over the 8:08 "Through the Big Door, Up the Stairs and Out" as it's as maze like as you would expect and the aforementioned "Level One". If there's one area I feel the band could improve upon, it would be seasoning in Kat's vocals, as she has a moaning nature at times that probably works better in a live situation than on a studio recording.

So imagine a montage of TOOL, OPETH, RUSH, DREAM THEATER, and possibly THE CURE and that will give you a ball park idea of what to expect from hAND. Exciting to the Progressive Metal community, and intriguing to listen to again and again.<