The Hidden Hand Albums (4)
'The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote'
Release Date 2/20/2007
Tracks 10
Label Southern Lord
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Following an unusually long, three-year gap since their acclaimed second album, Mother Teacher Destroyer (interrupted only by 2005's Devoid of Color DVD/EP), Maryland's the Hidden Hand delivered yet another thought-provoking, fairly eccentric opus in 2007's curiously named The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote. "Whiskey Foote," as it turns out, is a fictitious character concocted by the group to represent America's early pioneers, about whom each song spins a different yarn, ultimately knitting a semi-intertwined conceptual whole. None of this is very easy to discern, however, since the Hidden Hand's prose (normally focused on political/historical lyrics, as compared to the more ethereal nature of Scott "Wino" Weinrich's previous band, Spirit Caravan), is even more vague and oblique than usual here. But at least the trio doesn't stray too far from the expected, musically speaking, performing a heavy brand of fuzz rock, with sluggish doom tempos oddly dominating three out of the album's first four numbers: "Someday Soon," "Spiritually Bereft," and somnolent opener "Purple Neon Lagoon." Thankfully, the energy level is eventually picked up by mid-paced monoliths such as "Dark Horizons," foreboding standout, "The Lesson," and the crunchy-riffed "Majestic Presence," which eventually descends into lysergic Hendrix-ian shredding. Also, as with previous Hidden Hand albums, bassist Bruce Falkinburg occasionally takes center stage with his own gruff vocals (reminiscent of Savatage's Jon Oliva, strangely enough), yet here he leads three in a row in the title track, the harmonica-enhanced "Lightning Hill," and the ultra-heavy "Broke Dog." And for his part, Wino exhibits his undiminished six-string talents throughout, but saves his flashiest, tastiest psychedelic guitar work for epic closer "Slow Rain," which will hopefully satisfying those who miss his more dominant presence on band projects past. But then, it is this democratic quality that arguably makes the Hidden Hand the most unique band project of Wino's long and respected career -- and The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote well worth investigating, despite its abundant idiosyncrasies. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
'Mother Teacher Destroyer'
Release Date 9/27/2004
Tracks 11
Label Exile On Mainstream
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What The Critics Say
Of the two band projects embarked upon by vocalist and guitarist Scott "Wino" Weinrich following the demise of Spirit Caravan in May 2002, his union with ex-Pentagram guitarist Victor Griffin's Place of Skulls certainly had the greater star power to begin with; but, in terms of actual longevity, smart money was always on the brand-new the Hidden Hand's survival -- for obvious geographical (Griffin living in Tennessee, Wino in Virginia) and ego-related reasons. That indeed turned out to be the case and, following a debut album that, save for the unexpectedly political bent of its lyrics, pretty much picked up right where Spirit Caravan had left off, the Hidden Hand began to establish a fresher, more distinct sonic imprint with their second effort, 2004's Mother Teacher Destroyer. Not that there's been a radical stylistic shift here from Wino's career-long doom-based songwriting tendencies, either. New songs like "Desensitized," "Travesty as Usual," and "Sons of Kings" are still dominated by down-tuned, lumbering riffs, and the dreamy "Black Ribbon" features acoustic guitar progressions and soft, nebulous vocals descended straight from Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan." No, Mother Teacher Destroyer's creative novelty derives primarily from two facts: first, there's an otherworldly, almost Zen-like calm pervading the above and additional Wino masterpieces like "Half Mast" (with its understated groove and poetically expressed social commentary) and "Magdalene" (an evocatively dark and obscure love song) that allows their more fragile ingredients to shine forth, and secondly, there's the diversifying songwriting contributions of bassist Bruce Falkinburg, who handles lead vocals on three of the album's nine sung tracks, including all-important opener "The Crossing" and the slightly psychedelic "Currents." Finally, there's two instrumentals -- more curious than actually good -- in "Draco Vibration" (like an awkward-moving phalanx of arm-dragging orangutans) and "The Deprogramming of Tom Delay" (making a wordless political statement by way of pulsing, sci-fi sound effects) to complete the picture. In short, fans of Wino's more take-charge approach of projects and albums past may finish Mother Teacher Destroyer wondering where all the virility and muscle went; but for those willing to accept the Hidden Hand as an altogether subtler and more contemplative proposition, this album certainly qualifies as among the most unique in the great man's discography. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Curiously, the Hidden Hand's second release (following a very robust eponymous debut in 2003) is a split EP with label mates Wooly Mammoth; but even more surprising is the fact that the Maryland-based trio's two submissions do not contain lead vocals from renowned bandleader and underground metal legend Wino! Still, other than making a point about the Hidden Hand being a "band" in the truest sense, this small detail has little influence on the musical outcome, as both the solid "Five Points" (sung by bassist Bruce Falkinburg) and the instrumental "Welcome to Sunshine" (where at least Wino's legendary guitar playing is found stage front) carry on quite nicely in the Hidden Hand's pre-established, post-doom style. Moving on to the flip side, one is acquainted with the quite capable Wooly Mammoth, whose somewhat muddy retro-rock sound appears to be intentionally part of the package. All fine and good, since, although they hardly light the stoner rock universe on fire with energetically driving first offering "The Prophet," Wooly Mammoth will probably raise many an approving eyebrow with the mastodon-sized riffing (pun intended) heard on submission number two, "Mastercut and Charisma." [Also included in this release is Meteor City's 2004 sampler, giving fans an excellent eyeful of their hard-rocking roster.] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
'Divine Propaganda'
Release Date 8/26/2003
Tracks 10
Label Meteor City
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What The Critics Say
The voice -- though somewhat flat and strained-sounding -- is instantly recognizable. The guitar playing -- whether driving forceful, down-tuned power chords, or peeling off inventive and dazzling solos, is a virtual monument to American underground metal. Both are in possession of Scott Weinrich, otherwise known as the ubiquitous Wino -- the voice and guitar standing front and center of past indie metal legends like Saint Vitus and The Obsessed, and, more recently, the also quite awesome Spirit Caravan. When the last of these split in the summer of 2002, Wino busied himself with various projects of which The Hidden Hand became the first to bear musical fruit in the way of 2003's Divine Propaganda L.P. Another power trio, the group finds bassist/vocalist Bruce Falkinburg and drummer Dave Hennessy fulfilling their supporting roles to perfection, allowing their esteemed leader to, well, do his thing. Which is essentially what he has always done, only Divine Propaganda, as dictated by its title, focuses almost entirely on acerbic political commentary, as if Wino finally decided to acknowledge the issues doing the rounds everyday in his hometown of D.C. Thought-provoking exhortations include accusatory opener "Bellicose Rhetoric," the plea for environmental consciousness "Damyata," and the Sabbath-infused, covertly named "Tranquility Base." A welcome sample of Wino's equal opportunity admiration for punk rock, the absolutely storming, one-minute perfection of "Screw the Naysayers" says more with less than most pompous protest rockers' best shots, and delivers a heartfelt 'up yours!' to the establishment, all at the same time. And what of the mostly esoteric subject matter typical of previous band Spirit Caravan? Well, some of it makes the cut here, kinda, only now, Wino applies his imaginative wordplay to allude to the same social messages. Examples of this can be found in the pessimistic vision and psychedelic swirl of "The Last Tree," and the galaxy traveling, wordless chant of "Prayer for the Night" (see the booklet for bilingual poetry). All in all, despite covering so much familiar ground throughout, The Hidden Hand quickly affirms a fresh identity all its own, and promises to go down as yet another compelling chapter in Wino's ever-growing history. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
