LadyfingerHeavy HandsReview

Ladyfinger (NE) – the (NE) stands for Nebraska, as so not to get confused with New York’s rockabilly folk sensations Ladyfingers – are a four-piece comprising of Ethan Jones, Pat Oakes, Jamie Massey, and singer Chris Machmuller who gravitated to Omaha from the likes of Kansa and Iowa, and deal in a primal, grunting blend of rock. Signed to Saddle Creek, home of Bright Eyes and The Faint, Heavy Hands is their debut album, which anyone who saw them tour with The Bronx last year – and indeed, anyone who enjoys a spot of rumblingly metallic hardcore - will be desperate to get their hands on.

Recorded by Matt Bayles, whose previous clients include Mastodon and Isis, Heavy Hands is shorn of any mountains and woolly concepts, instead opting for a no-nonsense melodic thug-up reminiscent of Rated R era Queens Of The Stone Age or 90s types such as Drive Like Jehu, Jawbox, or even the mighty Fugazi. And with the vintage rock hollerin’ of Machmuller, they have a front man who knows about restraint and counterpoints that with some vintage sub-metal screaming.

Opening with the pile-driving Smuggler, the scene is set for just over half an hour of brutal man-rock. ''Who Believes Enough?'', ''One Thousand Tongues'' and ''Too Cool For School'' keep up the dynamic of the USP, while ''Colored Lights'' is a pleasingly menacing chug. This album was built to destroy your stereo.

Heavy Hands is a perfect tornado of hardcore and is over before you have chance to take breath. While there’s no major re-invention of any wheels occurring, Ladyfinger show enough promise to grab you by both the throat, and any other, possibly tattooed limbs. They deserve your full attention.