Winnipeg’s Occvlt Hand chose one of the year’s best titles for their new album: Not Everyone Deserves A Happy Ending. And who could argue with that? In fact, one of life’s great, infuriating ironies is that so many people who don’t deserve a happy ending get one anyway. It would be so much sweeter if the assholes could all be subjected to the righteous ministrations of Occvlt Hand, from which they would emerge beaten, bruised, and broken.
Occvlt Hand didn’t exhaust their storehouse of bleak, memorable titles after they named the album. They’ve got a song on the record called “Total Fucking Absence of Light” and another one named “Smash My Bones, Inhale the Dust“, which my comrade DGR wrote about in a round-up at our site not long ago, describing it as “a harsh track that seems to drain the color out of the room, absolutely blatant about its stomping disregard and hopelessness”.
More good song titles are to be found in this punishing new release, including the track we’re premiering today in advance of the album’s September 13 release by Possessed Records: “He Who Walks Behind the Rows“.
A word to the wise: Looks can be deceiving.
Occvlt Hand blend hardcore, metal, and a damned bleak outlook on life, and they stew up some real crushers from those ingredients. The song you’re about to hear is heavy as hell, both in its grim atmosphere and in the sheer physical impact of its teeth-cracking bass lines, its jaw-fracturing drum blows, and the cruelty of its hammering and groaning riffs. The gritty harsh vocals are just as murderous as everything else, and when the band accelerate from their mid-paced bludgeoning near the end, the track becomes a destructive, pile-driving juggernaut.
“He Who Walks Behind the Rows” is also narcotically addictive, and it’s a serious head-mover, too — so loosen up your neck muscles before you press the play button.
Not Everyone Deserves A Happy Ending was recorded and mixed by Jordan Voth and it was mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. The cover art was created by Ethan McCarthy (Cool Ghoul), with layout by Graham Chorny.
The album releases on September 13th. Pre-order on vinyl and digital via the Bandcamp link below.
Bandcamp:
https://possessedrecords.bandcamp.com/track/smash-my-bones-inhale-the-dust
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/occvlthand/