The 9th studio album of these legendary power thrashers from Boston features some of the most inspired songwriting in the band's history. It also marks the return of Paul Souza, and with him the top-notch quality of the vocals. His more melodic voice has a good range and displays the much needed grit and aggression, perfectly fitting and complementing the music. Enough can't be said about the guitars - there's so much riff goodness here that it could serve several albums! Overall it's a more riff-driven and heavy album with less clean and acoustic guitar parts, but subsequent listens will reveal the intricacy of the compositions. The duo of Anthony Nichols and Jim Koury laid down some serious guitar work here, and the hard-hitting drums sound mighty powerful. All this is rounded off with flawless production - very clear, distinct and heavy at the same time. Without trying to sound retro, "Idol Hands" packs the same intensity as the band's classic albums, and should not be missed by fans of METALLICA, METAL CHURCH, WARGASM, XENTRIX, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, HERETIC and TESTAMENT.
