Being the latest creative outfit of one Scott "Wino" Weinrich (formerly of The Obsessed, St. Vitus, Spirit Caravan, and more), people have a sound and musical quality that they have come to expect. The Hidden Hand has delivered much more thus far with Divine Propaganda and Mother, Teacher, Destroyer. With that fact in mind, the band drops Devoid of Color, a live DVD that they recorded and included a five-song EP for their fans. With the manner in which bands pump out DVD's anymore, it is nice to see a band do something along these lines. Devoid of Color is unfortunately limited to 3,000 copies.
The DVD side of Devoid of Color is pretty good quality video with equally, if not better, sound. For anyone who has not yet witnessed The Hidden Hand, here is your opportunity. The band is a different animal in the live setting and this DVD shows it. There are songs on the DVD that spread out across the full existence of the band's discography, including songs from the included EP. It is a pretty good representation of the band and was fairly enjoyable, as enjoyable as can be as I don't like watching live DVD's. I must, however, digress and say that Wino has one of the nicest gardens that I have ever seen.
The studio EP portion of Devoid of Color is a bit mellower than previous releases, but still rock and roll. "The Key" is a roiling instrumental that gets you in the mood for the rest of the record. It is a lot more upbeat than "Devoid of Color," the title track, which is one of the most subdued songs that I have heard from The Hidden Hand. It has a surprisingly melodic quality to it. At first, it struck me as too unlike the band to do something like this, but I actually dig it after repeated listens. "The Dagger" is mellow, but it's heavier than "Devoid of Color." I like the sense of melody that Wino and the boys put on display with this record. The vocal track on this song is particularly good, especially the harmonized chorus. "Vulcan's Children" is upbeat and more like what one would expect in regards to their previous material. The last track is an extremely subdued instrumental.
The Hidden Hand upped the ante by releasing an EP along with their DVD. The EP actually makes this release for me. It is a good progression for the band. It has some interesting dynamics going on that I was not used to from their past work. If you see Devoid of Color, pick it up. It is worth it for the EP alone.
