Portland seems to have been the hometown of heavy metal for many years, but recently there is a frequency of metal bands emerging from there. A very good example of this activity are IDLE HANDS formed in 2017 by Gabriel Franco, who initially played the bass for the heavy/speed metal band Spellcaster.
According to Franco it wasn’t easy to find his way through as a musician, due to communication difficulties inside Spellcaster, a band with a satisfying impact but not as much as Franco wanted it to be. When he decided to take over the lyrics, vocals and guitar and managed to find a solid line-up (having also from Spellcaster the guitarist S. Silva and the drummer C. Vranizan) IDLE HANDS became true releasing their first EP ‘Don’t Waste Your Time‘ in 2018. (Decibel interview https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2018/08/22/track-premiere-idle-hands-i-feel-nothing/ )
The sound of IDLE HANDS is a mixture of classic heavy metal and gothic rock. Their influences range from Iron Maiden to The Sisters Of Mercy and one can really quickly recognize this. The success here is that IDLE HANDS seem to have their own way to perform such nostalgic tunes, and this can also be confirmed by the fact that while these lines are written the band is on tour with Tribulation (Northern Ghost Tour 2019). Franco’s voice is dark and moody having an 80s tone and the total composition of the tracks show a genuine investment.
Their debut album ‘Mana‘ is due to May 10th via Eisenwald.
Line-up: Gabriel Franco (vocals, guitars), Colin Vranizan (drums), Sebastian Silva (guitars), Brandon Hill (bass).
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