These Hands Could Separate The Sky
These Hands Could Seperate The Sky (THCSTS) are a four piece rock outfit from Melbourne. Their name may immediately purvey a band with delusions of self grandeur, to some. But THCSTS is a trickster like creature. This is a band that believes there is an innate, untapped ability within all of us, to transcend. Their performances document the desperate efforts of four men to access this realm through the haphazard medium of spine tingling, chest-cavity shaking post rock. Hold on to your undies people! At any live performance, watch as they ebb and flow to meditative melody, only to erupt in frantic ecstasy over bone crushing progressions of victory. Don’t be mistaken, though! THCSTS is often straight to the point, and when they ‘re rocking, there’s nothing that can stop them. Not so sure? Get down to a show and see for yourself!
Trailing just two official releases, THCSTS has been steadily building their loyal fan base over the last few years. It hasn’t always been a smooth road, guitar player/ vocalist Liam Daly is the only original member that remains in the band over a relatively short existence so far. Bass player James Nicoli coming in second, joined the band shortly after their inception. This is an enduring band.
In late 2007 THCSTS dropped their first official release in the format of a 12” split vinyl with their new found friends Arrows, with whom they would go on to share a strong relationship, enforced by their collective adoration for mid-90s Indie band Mineral, and others like them. Originally an independent release with 600 pressings, the sold out split is now available on CD through Hobbledehoy Record Co. This release spurred a successful joint East Coast tour by the two bands, followed by a string of supports in Melbourne and Sydney for post rock giants Mono (Japan), and Pelican (USA), as well as two shows with Minus The Bear (USA) at The Metro in Sydney and The Corner Hotel in Melbourne.
“The two tracks from These Hands Could Separate the Sky are two of the best Australian post-rock tracks ever put to tape.” (Tabletop Joe)
“In this jaded internet world full of ringtones and illegal downloads for the attention deficient kids of today, releasing a spilt 12″ record is clearly ambitious. To launch said record at The Arthouse, a stalwart of the Melbourne rock, metal and punk scene, is also ambitious. To share a bill with two of the louder, harder and angrier acts in Melbourne is again, ambitious [Nation Blue and Blacklevel Embassy]. And for that alone, These Hands Could Separate The Sky and Arrows (Brisbane) should be respected.” (Faster Louder, Melbourne Launch)
“These Hands Could Separate the Sky, proved supreme and showcased the true thrill of live music, uncovering an unknown gem.” (Wireless Bollinger, Minus The Bear @ The Metro, Sydney)
2009 saw THCSTS drop their second release. Save Yourself is a four song EP released on CD through Afterdark Records, the band’s current home. Recorded by Nao Anzai (Laura, Because of Ghosts, The Night Terrors), this recording is an aural feast, lush, layered, reminiscent of 90’s era Steve Albini recordings. With the new addition of Jake McMinn, a musician synonymous with post rock in Melbourne these days (Fourteen Nights At Sea, Lakes of Russia), there is a deeper maturity to be found in THCSTS’s recent offering. Save Yourself conveys a band that continues to slowly evolve and change their sound, however retaining their passionate and at times unsettling core.
The title, and final track clocks in at a whopping 15 minutes! It sails and soars and builds and drops, and it finally explodes into a crescendo of desperation and persuasive intent. The listener is left to pick up the pieces for themselves when it ends, appearing to say “It’s all in your hands”.
“These are dense, majestic epics, swelling and subsiding sexily and creating cinematic moods… …I defy anyone not to get goose pimples… …Indeed, it’s almost impossible to talk about songs like these in musical terms. I suspect that’s part of their creators’ intention. It’s not music to be ‘understood’, picked apart or remembered by its hooks, melodies or lyrics. Instead, listeners are invited to abandon themselves to the troughs and peaks of sound, turn off their rational minds and feel something.” (Mess and Noise)
“Lots of bands have taken on the mantle of the ‘big sound.’ You know, the music whose leader board consists of Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed, maybe Isis and Pelican. It’s usually done as instrumental but will have occasional vocal intrusions. It’s full of quiet, subtle passages followed by loud guitar rock. Some do it better than others. It’s increasingly hard to do it in a way that sounds original. From Melbourne, These Hands Could Separate the Sky might be Australia’s leading light for this kind of music… …‘Break The Horizon,’ which has the most shout-singing, sounds like Braid. Probably not the first time emo has run up against soaring power-noise, but it’s new to me.” (Delusions of Adequacy)
At this point in their career you can expect any local Melbourne venue in to town that they play at to sell out, and fast! (The Old Bar’s earliest sell out show was a THCSTS headline). This release was shortly followed by the departure of drummer Matthew Radford, forcing a rapid halt for the band in the second half of 2009, a fill in (Dan McKay, Nation Blue) completing their EP tour.
With new drummer Thomas Rowley onboard though, 2010 is set to be a very interesting and action packed year for These Hands Could Separate The Sky. We can all expect a new EP, another split, and a long awaited full length is already well underway. So don’t let go of those undies in a hurry!
Current Members:
Liam Daly – Guitar / Vocals
Jake McMinn – Guitar
James Nicoli –Bass
Thomas Rowley – Drums
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‘Save Yourself” out now on Afterdark Records
P.O. Box 1515 Collingwood 3066
(+612) 9417 4155
Patient Is The Sea. by trustychordsmusic
DOGS - 'Turn Against This Land' 
