In the year-and-change since the first big stride from the new-look Hands Like Houses in ATMOSPHERICS, it’s impossible to feel happy with what they’ve accomplished. Actually, what have they accomplished? They survived what should’ve been the quickest slide into irrelevance of all time and are still making music, but otherwise? Nothing; ATMOSPHERICS was just that crippling of a blow. And that’s not something to just easily move past, either. Hands Like Houses were one of the best Warped-core bands of the 2010s, with Ground Dweller and Unimagine being so vibrant and creative. Now, they’re uninspired alt-metal swill, just like all the others.
And yet, against all better judgement, they aren’t stopping. That might be indicative of the worst impulse of New Hands Like Houses—their insistence at forcing this to work. ATMOSPHERICS was already a bloated Frankensteining of four EPs, none of which contributed to a satisfying whole. Perhaps Lótus isn’t indicating towards quite as severe a botch-job just yet, but you never know. Either way, for a band who once had such a strong environmental bent to them, Hands Like Houses pumping out this alt-metal pollution does nothing for anyone. Lótus is merely an extension of that with no significant improvement in sight.
Ideas are at critical levels, once again. In fact, they may never have been lower. We’re really closing the EP with a moody, alternative cover of Wicked Game, yeah? That’s the level of barrel-scraping we’re at? Come on—you’re regurgitating something that Theory Of A Fucking Deadman got to first. That’s not just played-out; it’s humiliating. And yet, with frontman Josh Raven having not a smidgen of humility or personability in his entire being, it’s a cold, self-serious rendition with, quite honestly, no appeal to it.
It’s also the low point of Lótus, but not by an extravagant amount, depressingly. This unimaginative cover suffers just as much as the EP wholesale, only tainted a little further by its added recognisability. That’s not an issue that the rest of Lótus suffers, because there’s not a chance you’ll remember any of this. It’s all the same, tired alt-metal thudding that’s been ten-a-penny for ages, unique solely in how Raven’s caterwauling on the title track or Flowers doesn’t really sound like anyone else. Otherwise, the dynamic-free monochrome is in full effect, and although the package is shorter, it’s not less of a chore to sit through.
There are also two tracks on here, DEAD and Warning Signs, that are collaborations with fellow Australians Dream On, Dreamer, for whatever reason. They add nothing, naturally; it’s only worth highlighting because they’re probably supposed to. DEAD’s drizzled-on synths likely came about through that belief, but it sounds all the more generic for them being there, like the unquiet spectre of 2010s metalcore looking to possess something just as dull. As for Warning Signs, that, quite simply, has nothing noteworthy about it all and isn’t worth commenting on further.
As you can see, grasping at straws for anything to talk about with Lótus is the name of the game. The depth to which Hands Like Houses have buried themselves remains mind-boggling, and yet, you can tell the intent remains. They’re clearly picturing themselves entering a bold new space, ready to pierce the upper echelons of their scene. But if they couldn’t get there with ATMOSPHERICS, what makes them think they can with Lótus? There’s no new energy to be found or directions explored; the only difference (and upside, really) is that it’s shorter. More than anything, it perspectivises Raven’s cry of “Just give me the flowers I’m craving” on Flowers—desperate for quick, cheap validation, despite doing absolutely nothing to earn it.
For fans of: Rain City Drive, Caskets, Thousand Below
‘Lótus’ by Hands Like Houses is released on 22nd May on Civilians.
Words by Luke Nuttall
