HANDS

This is Shroom Productions best release so far. HANDS were an American band, founded by members from PRISM, who were active between 1977 and 1980. They never released an album back then, but this CD is put together with material from that period. The sound quality is overall very good with a few exceptions. - Their music is a mix between medieval music and progressive rock, mostly instrumental. HANDS have strong compositions and intriguing arrangements and they're reminiscent to GENTLE GIANT, JETHRO TULL, KING CRIMSON, MIRTHRANDIR, PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI, and YES. I really like their wide range of musical instruments such as flutes, saxes, oboe, clarinet, various other woodwinds, keyboards, percussion, bass, guitars, drums, trombone, mandolin, viola, violin, vitar, quatro, piano, tubular bells and tuned percussion. - The highlights are the opening Jethro Tull-ish "Zombieroch", "Mutineer's Panorama" with nice Mellotron playing, "Worlds Apart", "Dreamsearch", "Mindgrind" and the epic masterpiece "Antarctica". - This is a forthcoming classic in progressive rock, and the fact that the disc is over 70-minutes long with a 20-page booklet containing pictures, loads of information and a band history, makes it even more valuable. This is an American masterpiece together with MIRTHRANDIR "For You The Old Woman" (1976) etc. Highly recommended and a must have!