### No Hand Path: An existence regained

#### 22/03/11 || revenant

OK, so I know what the Left Hand Path is, being Black Magic, and the Right Hand Path, being goodie two-shoes white magic, but what the fuck is the No Hand Path? Amputee magic? Not even my research assistants (read: Google and Wikipedia) can help me on this. Alas, the meaning of this obscurely named Greek progressive black metal band is lost on me.

Yes progressive black metal. Anyone who’s been visiting this site or the forums regularly would probably know I’m operating out of my comfort zone here a little. Black metal reviews from revenant to date? Fucken zero. Black metal albums on revenants iPod? Only a fraction more than zero. But hey, we’ve been inundated with a lot of discs of late and trying something new isn’t such a bad thing, particularly in this instance. It’s taken me a while to sit and absorb this album, and it’s been an experience I’ve enjoyed. Oh shit, did the door to black metal just open for me?

“An existence regained” is a concept album with three song trilogies detailing the story for a rebirth of a person and their changing view of the world around them over time. Musically, black metal is undoubtedly the launching pad from which this band takes off, but that is only the beginning. While at times viciously ugly (as only black metal can be), songs wind intricately across multiple sound scapes, weaving textures and melodies creating an absorbing listening experience. For someone like me who doesn’t have a great depth of experience in listening to this type of music, it surprised me how with each listen I found myself drawn deeper into the music and appreciation grew. “Absorb” was a word I used above, and a more correct word for my experience with this album I cannot find. All the songs, aside from the opener, pass the six minute mark in length, varying in pace, moving from harsh to melodic and back again.

One negative I do have to point out with this album is the drum sound. There is a busker here in my home town that plays homemade drums made from various plastic containers and cans. Clicketh here to see said dude in action. He generates a pretty good sound actually, though obviously a true sound. That guy might want to check his equipment, because the snare sound on “An existence regained” could well be one of his drums. Not that I’m suggesting No Hand Job (har har, couldn’t resist it) are thieves, just that the snare sounds ridiculously hollow on this record to the point of distraction.

Drum sound aside, this is a damn solid album. I know this because even without coming from a deep background of this music I can appreciate and enjoy what I’ve heard. The third trilogy of songs, in particular, is very strong, with some wonderful soft melodic sections. I almost feel guilty reviewing and scoring it now, as I could easily spend a lot longer with this album than I have, and this may have resulted in a higher score. But thems the breaks. The album is downloadable from the band’s website at no charge, so if the sound I described tickles your nutsack then hit the link below and go for it.

- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: Independent
- Website: www.nohandpath.net
- Band
- Ramin: vocals
- Vassilis: guitars
- Antonis: guitars
- Sotiris: bass
- Haris: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Birth of Consciousness
- 02. Birth of Decision
- 03. Birth of a King
- 04. Quest of the Traitors
- 05. Quest of the Deceived
- 06. Quest of the Noble
- 07. The Deepest Journey
- 08. The Darkest Journey
- 09. The Longest Journey