Open Hand – Mark of the Demon
Posted on 16th Jan 12 by Mike McGrath Bryan | 
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“…serves as a reminder that Open Hand’s long and winding road is one more than worth accompanying them on…”
For a band to have gone on as long as Open Hand have and survive any number of personnel changes, label setbacks and various other misfortunes, points to an iron resolve and unwavering belief in what you do. Lucky for us then, that Justin Isham‘s crew has done just that, against every odd tossed at it and come out better every time, as if that were imaginable. And after the erratic but utterly enthralling series of left turns that was third album Honey, Mark of the Demon serves as a reminder that Open Hand‘s long and winding road is one more than worth accompanying them on.
Part sound art, part retrospective, part outtakes collection, Mark of the Demon is a single-track medley of various material throughout the band’s incarnations, from demos and live takes to finished items, and for all the ups and downs in sound, owing mostly to the wild variations in source material, it is a potent and powerful reminder of a creative evolution that has been a joy for this listener to witness since first excitedly picking up their breakthrough record, You and Me all that time ago.
Segued by tongue-in-cheek guttural voices intended as otherworldly narration, and opening with a dreamy passage not unlike the fuzzier moments of Honey, this exploratory territory veers wonderfully in a downbeat snippet of picky goodness before ramming right into a rather large chorus. Steady You and Me-style tapped riffing and fuzzy wailing allows a moment of contemplation before it gives way to unexpected acoustic trickery. Dreamy Honey-style harmonies lead into a spirited, chugging passage before ceding back to a lush, layered soundscape, right before ending abruptly on a jokey live note.
It’s not easy to take in all at once. It’s not intended to be. It bends, it twists and turns. It takes you between its jaws and tosses you around like a ragdoll, your vision before you blurring. It’s what Open Hand have always done. It’s what they are, challenging and always moving forward, but true to form, never without irresistible points of access. It is this quality that, in the case of Therapy? and the like before them, has cost them an easy pigeonhole to get their just recognition. But it is also what makes them such a thoroughly compelling band, and will make them something very special when all is said and done. As a piece of art, and as a measurement of how Open Hand have grown, it’s an absolute treat. Here’s to the new album this year, then.
Drop-d Rating: 8/10
Tags: ambient, California, CLASSIC, Open Hand, retro, Rock, stoner, The Mark of the Demon
