Hands Like Houses are coming off a third album, “Dissonants,” which catapulted them into fame within the post-hardcore scene, which is picking up significant strength in their native Australia. “Dissonants,” released on February 26, 2016, was an absolute home run in just about every facet you could ask for. It was released through the much-maligned Rise Records, who have received criticism for releasing music from artists who show an extremely formulaic metalcore or post-hardcore approach. “Dissonants” proved a massive exception to that. Every single track on that album was enjoyable; it was heavy, but the singer didn’t emphasize the use of screaming to be necessary, which is often found in post-hardcore. Trenton Woodley’s got a powerful, emotional, almost soulful voice, and he slays every single performance on that album. When the rest of the band aren’t being ethereal or atmospheric (which is what was cool about songs like its third single “Colourblind”), they rock with a force harder than a speeding Mack truck. The lyrics weren’t hopelessly cliched like many other hardcore bands are managing lately.

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Hands Like Houses hoped to live up to the hype that had built around them with their next album, “Anon.”, which was released on October 12. Two singles preceded the release of the album. “Overthinking” was released on July 27. The lyrical game seems more relatable to a general audience than some of those in “Dissonants,” with a typical pop-like subject of relationship tension leading to irrational thoughts about it, but the song’s sound is much more akin to hard rock than pop. Alright, so it sounds good, but a lot of bands have done this one before. What’s next?

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Enter “Monster,” which explores different territory than Hands Like Houses have ever explored before. The overall guitar sound is a bit more rock n’ roll-y than punky like the fan would be used to, but it’s executed in a way that won’t turn off a first-time listener, even though it starkly contrasts their previous work. This is exactly what rock bands want when trying to make their sound progress and evolve throughout their career. The verses almost sound grungy - Woodley’s vocals sound like Kurt Cobain over heavy production and bassline. Woodley really shows his true “colours” when the chorus arrives, with blazing passion bursting from his lungs: “Take me to my grave, save me. / I can feel it coming alive.” Talk about monsters, especially in the month of October - this song sounds spooky already! It may take multiple listens to adjust from “Dissonants’” familiarity and brilliance, but it still remains that this is indeed a well-done song.

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The ninth track “Tilt” was also released for streaming ahead of the album’s release. This one is the closest to their previous work, and it’s everything you would expect from them: heavy, rough, anguished, powerful. At its first impression, it strikes as a song from the point of view of someone from the future, or just simply knows more than we do: “What if I told you, that we're all the same / If no one is equal, in this endless game / What if I told you, it's out of your hands / And after all is said and done, and nothing has changed, we all want the same.” A little bit of screaming is employed here, showcasing one of the more classic elements of post-hardcore.

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“Through Glass” also reminds us of familiar territory from previous works. Come to think of it, its title is also reminiscent of another specific artist’s work. A certain Stone Sour made a song with this title, and it was a soft rock ballad that contrasted its heavy metal whole which remains their most successful song. Make no mistake, Hands Like Houses did not record a Stone Sour cover. But they did make a similarly softer song here, and while it feels like the band doing something to this degree has been done before, it sounds better. It almost sounds like a pop song, but there’s still an emotional delivery, and a light rock backbeat which holds the song’s credibility with the rock community. It sounds like what The 1975 would be if they weren’t so focused on pop, and honestly, it’s pretty good.

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To review, there’s a lot of new, and a little bit of old sound to offer on Anon. It isn’t quite a home run, but the change in their sound doesn’t sound forced. The creativity didn’t ruin what made the band so good; passionate delivery, beauty in their softness, force in their heaviness. Every one of these aspects was present in the new record somewhere. The album cover encompassed the album perfectly: a chrysalis, standing for evolution. The band are evolving at a steady, not-too-rapid pace, making sure to keep some of what got them their fame available.