* En anglais uniquement
Grunge, post-grunge, stoner rock, emocore, and all the
Black Sabbath,
Soundgarden, and
Nirvana worship that comes with those scenes are big influences on the sound of
Open Hand, along with a surprising touch of prog, thanks in no small part to Justin Isham's longtime love of
King Crimson, early
Genesis, and
Robert Fripp. After they both spent time in the Los Angeles-based hardcore band
I Awake, vocalist/guitarist Isham and drummer Alex Rodriguez formed
Open Hand in 2000 with guitarist Sean Woods and former
Not Waving But Drowning bassist Jeff Meyer. Two self-released EPs and some flirtation with the major labels eventually led the group to the Trustkill label, a haven for heavy bands who weren't afraid of being emo or melodic. The band's 2003 release for the label, The Dream, brought Isham's
Crimson and
Peter Gabriel influence to the surface and comparisons to
Live and
Taking Back Sunday in the press. After a worldwide tour with labelmates
Poison the Well, the band returned home and split up. Isham carried on alone, writing new music with
Open Hand in mind. He persuaded drummer Paxton Pryor away from his band
the Vacation and the two spent the summer of 2004 creating a record for both emo kids and guitar geeks. Covering plenty of musical ground, the ambitious and epic
You and Me arrived in early 2005. After the album's release, bassist Michael Anastasi and guitarist Sean Woods were added to the band. ~ David Jeffries