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JFH Music Review


Hands, Creator
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Hands
Creator



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 10 tracks: 73 minutes, 56 seconds
Street Date: July 21, 2009


Busting onto the scene in 2007, hardcore act Hands spent some time in the independent realm before signing to the perfect label for their sound, Facedown Records. Shortly after signing came their debut album, Creator. It contains eleven brand new songs (including a hidden track) with a running time of more than an hour, making it quite an ordeal to listen through.

Now, unlike the majority of bands you hear on Facedown that feature rough speed metal riffs and drums and rather unpolished screams and growls, Hands generally contains a good mix of hardcore and power ballads. It sounds a little more well-produced as well, as it has a very clean sound throughout. The songs do have their fair share of growls in the vocal department, but there are a lot of cleaner screams too. The lyrics are mostly well-written, with themes ranging from humility and repentance to worship. In "The Least of These," vocalist Shane Ochsner recognizes just who he is, saying "I have been a hypocrite, and I've been all the dirty things that would disgust You, but in this I have seen compassion when it was undeserved," followed later in the song by "Oh how can I condemn when I've been delivered from the flame? I'll shake the liar's hand because I know that we're the same." The last track, entitled "Creator," is just a straight up worship song - no screaming, double bass, metal riffs, etc. - and repeats the same four lines over and over again ("Sovereign and holy, Creator, raining with mercy, Creator, reveal Your glory, Creator, show us Your nature, Creator"). I always love to see and hear metal bands giving glory to God, but it's also a tough song to get through unless you're already in a worshipful mood or setting. However, at the end of the track, fast forward through the several minutes of silence, and you can hear the hidden track called "Revelation." It's almost like the beginning of another album in the way it starts out. It ends up not being like "Creator," with it taking the turn back into hardcore like the rest of the album.

Another similarity between "Revelation" and the rest of Creator is it's all hard to get through. There's a blatantly obvious talent in the members of Hands, whether it's for writing lyrics or the musicianship of the group, but I found myself having a tough time listening to the album. It was almost like a chore. Nothing in the songs really jumped out and grabbed me or demanded my attention. One of the drawbacks for the songs is the more mellow style of hardcore mixed with long songs, which range from four and a half minutes to nearly ten minutes for "Revelation" (including two songs that are about seven minutes long each). This is really what makes Creator hard to listen to.

These guys do have something going for them. The quality is good and the talent is there. They just still need to refine it a little bit more, and try working on songs that aren't so long and exhausting. It may help to keep the listener's attention a little better, and it might allow for more energy to flow through the music. Now, don't get me wrong, Creator isn't a terrible album. I just think it could've been better.

- Review date: 2/4/10, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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. Record Label: Facedown Records
. Album length: 10 tracks: 73 minutes, 56 seconds
. Street Date: July 21, 2009
. Buy It: iTunes
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Hurricanes (5:17)
  2. Rescue (5:32)
  3. Brightest (4:22)
  4. The Heavens And The Earth (7:06)
  5. Of The Flesh (4:59)
  6. Robed In Majesty (5:18)
  7. The Least Of These (4:32)
  8. Resistance (6:01)
  9. Returning (6:55)
  10. Creator (23:44)

 

 

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This Friday, October 17, 2025
ALBUMS
ANTHNY DIARY ENTRY 1 [Provident]
AOH Music BEHOLD (Acoustic Live), Vol. 1 (independent)
Blanca Full Bloom [Curb]
Chris Blue Every Day Is Christmas [Gaither]
Geoff Moore and The Distance Foundations (Re-Release) [Girder]
Geoff Moore and The Distance A Place To Stand (Re-Release) [Girder]
Vince Gill 50 Years From Home: I Gave You Everything I Had - EP [UMG]
Nate Parrish Make Me A Mountain (independent)
Psallos The New and Better Way: Hymns of Hebrews (independent)
Anne Wilson Stars [Capitol CMG]
Megan Woods The Truth EP [Fair Trade]

SINGLES
Elevation Worship Jesus Be The Name - Single [Provident]
F'rael God's Wheel (ft. TRYBISHOP) - Single [Syntax]
Brandon Lake When A Cowboy Prays (Amazon Music Songline) - Single [Provident]
LEON Undefeated - Single [El Rescate Music]
No Vain Glory UNLEADED - Single [Syntax]
Park 7 The Hope Is On The Way - Single (independent)
Rave Jesus & Gracie Binion Need Your Love - Single [Provident]
REFVGE, Cyfë II & WAY? U P W A R D S ft. Bianca Silver & Josh LeCroy - Single [Syntax]
Rhymes In Harmony & MAYIA My Sister - Single [Syntax]
Rock City Worship Gravestone - Single [Capitol CMG]
Anton Scholl Born To Love You - Single [Near Kingdom]
Nathan Sheridan Don't Lose Hope - Single [WieRok]
SNT. VINCENT Feast of the Saints - Single [Syntax]
Vertical Kings Faith In Stereo - Single [Covenant]
Vic Lucas, Essence Natay & Ashleey Barnes Let it Rain - Single [Syntax]
Zane Vickery All Things New - Single (independent)
Aaron Williams Abide (feat. CAIN) - Single [Integrity]

DVD
Chris Blue Every Day Is Christmas DVD [Gaither]

Next Friday, October 24, 2025
ALBUMS
John Allan untitled EP [Centricity]
Dan Bremnes The Villain - EP [Curb]
Clear Convictions Endure [Resuscitation]
God Behind Bars Music Live From Angola Prison Vol. 1 [Provident]
Fepeste This World Ain't Mine to Change [Velvet Blue]
gio. FINE BY ME [Capitol CMG]
Brandon Lake Amazon Music Songline [Provident]
Tyson Motsenbocker Modern Worries [Tooth & Nail]
Smalltown Poets St. Augustine (independent)
Zahriya Zachary Rediscovery [Bethel]

SINGLES
29:11 Worship, Zion Rempel You Never Fail (feat. Emily Guy) - Single [DREAM]
Joe L Barnes Grief, Joy, Gratitude - Single [Provident]
Chad Cory, Zacardi Cortez My First Love (Remix) - Single [DREAM]
Leanna Crawford Beginning Of Your Grace - Single [Provident]
darthy Juniper Tree - Single [WieRok]
Emerson Day Midnight Hour - Single [Fair Trade]
Good Weather Forecast lows2highs - Single [DREAM]
Grace + Max Rich - Single [WieRok]
Mercy Tribe Music The King is in the Room (feat. Ayiesha Woods) - Single (independent)
Mountains in the Sea You Never Fail (feat. Emily Guy) - Single [DREAM]
Seph Schlueter Already On The Way (feat. Benjamin William Hastings) - Single [Provident]
Tomb Slayer The Christmas Lamb (feat. Khristian Dentley & Sarah Whittemore) - Single [Tomb Slayer]
The Undertaking! All Smiles - Single (independent)

VINYL
Clear Convictions Endure [Resuscitation]


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