The Newest Noise for Your Listening Pleasure! | By Nicholas Senior
Idle Hands
Portland, Oregon
Mana | May 10 | EISENWALD
RIYL: Happy accidents. Sad songs. Devon Sawa’s possessed right hand.
Pick up Mana HERE!
Imagine the time is 1987, and a heavy metal maiden falls in love with a goth sister of mercy. Their child would sound something like Idle Hands’ Mana, which marries the two styles masterfully. Flashy guitar work, a propulsive and expressive rhythm section, and a beautiful baritone combine to make some of the most engaging and electric retro metal in ages. Think a less blackened In Tribulation mixed with Spirit Adrift’s flair for the dramatic, and you’re halfway there—living on a prayer!—but what makes Idle Hands really attention-grabbing is the result of both humility and pride. “I sing low because I can’t sing high,” frontman Gabriel Franco explains. “Otherwise, people might not be making these comparisons. It just worked out the way it did. Be yourself!” That said, limiting Idle Hands’ appeal to Franco’s fantastic pipes would be like tying one hand behind their back. The music needs to be heard to be fully appreciated, but it’s bombastic, as gloriously over-the-top as any ’80s fusion band yet with a magical quality that renders Mana a truly heavenly treat.
