One Hidden Frame “Giant Steps” LP

The third release from Thug Free Records is also the third full-length from One Hidden Frame ("Giant Steps"), and the band and label are also both from Lappeenranta, Finland. Unlike most of the Finnish bands that I cover, One Hidden Frame has a pop-punk/melodic hardcore sound with singing vocals over loads of midpaced rhythms, octave chords, and some of that more technical, 90's era Fat Wreck approach—such as dissonant chord phrasings, hammer-on/pull-off riffs, and zippy picking patterns. I reviewed their debut album about four years ago and thought it had some potential, but they've improved greatly over the years, and this is easily their best release to date. The production values alone make a huge difference here, with a crisp mix that provides just the right amount of breathing room for each instrument, but the songwriting is also light years ahead of what they were doing back then. There's a good balance of tempos and overall variety, and while they do throw in a few more contemporary riffing styles that hint at a modern "emo" sort of undercurrent here and there, the material's catchy without taking it too far in that direction. It's cool, because it's not overtly complex, but there's definitely some musicianship happening here, you just don't necessarily notice it since the songs are so punchy. They're definitely doing a lot with layered/panned guitar parts, though, and I'm really enjoying the way they're fusing an assortment of influences from the past 20 years in a way that sounds current. I feel like a lot of bands of this nature tend to stagnate in the sense that if they start out kinda so-so, that's just how it's gonna be. Thankfully that hasn't been the case with One Hidden Frame at all: Their growth is obvious, and it's really paying off for the listener.

One Hidden Frame "Race to the Moon"

I'm not sure what kind of distribution this release has at the moment, but I'm not seeing it in any distros, so contact the band and/or the label via the MySpace links above to inquire about getting your hands on a copy of the album...