The Album Reviews:

	Title: *Mother Teacher * Destroyer Artist: The Hidden Hand Label: Southern Lord Release Date:** 11/2/04	Judgment Committee Reviews	Rating
			3
			3
			4
Read the Reviews of Divine Propaganda Official Web Site for this Artist Discuss on the Metal Judgment Web Board Submit/Read Reader Reviews of this Album

Abyss's Review:
Doom, doom, doom, let's go back to my room... Sorry about that. The Hidden Hand return with their sophomore release, and fans of the band should be more than satisfied. While it isn't too big a departure from Divine Propaganda, this album sees the band in an even more psychedelic place, with songs that are a little less focused and a little trippy-er.

"One word review: Great."

The band is able to plod through the heaviest of heavy parts and separate them with the warm fuzzy comfort of a heroin trip. In a metal world chock full of angry, screaming preppies wearing Abercrombie and Fitch, a blast through outer space such as this is quite a welcome thing. It puts the heavy back into heavy metal.
But as much as I like this record, it is just for fans of the genre. I have a feeling the average metalcore fan doesn't possess the patience an album like this requires. Like a lot of doom, it isn't a very focused effort, and if one's not in the mood for a psychedelic trip, the band can be quite tedious. But for those heavy music fans that can appreciate the journey more than the destination and see music as a tapestry of sound and feel, The Hidden Hand will be a very satisfying experience. Can be paired with both hallucinogens and barbiturates. One word review: Great.

Death's Review:
I've always known that Scott "Wino" Weinrich was to be treated as an exalted legend of heavy metal, but I never really got into his material on my own. It's just something I've had respect for, and that respect was amplified when I checked out a lot of the press he did in connection with the recent Probot project and the last interview he did with Metal Maniacs magazine. Clearly Wino is a "lifer" who gets it. His material is to be respected. So it was with that perspective that I dove into the new album from Wino's latest project, The Hidden Hand. Expectations were measured, because I'm not the biggest stoner rock / doom guy out there, but I definitely wanted to get into it.

"Clearly Wino is a 'lifer' who gets it."

The results on Mother Teacher Destroyer are mixed but cool. Trippy spacey, balls-out heavy rock. Sound like something you'd be into to? This one is for the pre-existing fans, so if you think you're into music of that description, you'll like this album, and if you aren't so sure, you probably don't care too much. The closing instrumental track just crushes all, and in comparision the rest of the album doesn't quite stack up. In the end the vocals are just OK. I think Eric Wagner slays as a vocalist for this kind of music, and the entire Trouble catalogue does more for me than any track on this record. This is not on the same level. Mind you, we're in the same vein here, so if you like that sort of thing you'll probably want to be in the know on this one. But for me, stuff like classic Sabbath, Trouble, Candlemass and C.O.C.'s Blind album fills this void; after that, in the end it just isn't my thing.

Hel's Review:
I have to admit, I have a soft spot for The Hidden Hand. I don't normally go for stoner rock, but I found that I really enjoyed Divine Propaganda, and damn if I'm not really digging the new one as well. It may have that dirty, under-produced sound, which I am usually against, but I knew to expect it this time around, which probably helped matters. Regardless, The Hidden Hand has again turned in an album full of great performances.

"The Hidden Hand has again turned in an album full of great performances."

I found the songs to be infectious in their slow, dirge-like way, and was drawn farther in the more I listened to the album. The songwriting is more complicated that I would expect from a band of this ilk, with multiple layers incorporated into many of the songs, adding depth while seeming deceptively simple yet in actuality oozing with intricacy.
Even if you don't normally go for this kind of music, Mother * Teacher * Destroyer is an album worth taking a listen to. For optimal effect, give yourself the opportunity to spin it a couple of times while devoting your full attention to it. You may find it worth the effort, and be pleasantly surprised, as I have been.

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