-->
The Handshake Murders is a band from Arkansas, playing a brand of mathcore/metalcore/post-hardcore in the vein of Botch, Coalesce, and Norma Jean.
Many former members of Eso-Charis are in the band; Cory Putman used to be a member, but is now the vocalist for Norma Jean and goes by the name Cory Brandan. However, he remains on good terms with the band, and even plugged them in a recent interview. Read more on Last.fm
While certainly (and sometimes obviously) drawing on their influnces, ‘Usurper’ still occupies an area of hardcore that’s rarely appreciated. It’s angular and strange without being overly produced, and it’s just different enough not to be the boring breakdown-filler-breakdown we’ve become accustomed to. R.I.P. THM.