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Multi-instrumentalist J. Hammer kick-started his one-man metalpunk band Schizoid Hammer in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2013. A couple of low-key releases and one rejigged band name later, and now the Satan-lovin Hammr are set to deliver their ripping first full-length, Unholy Destruction.
Unholy Destruction is seeing a release via label Hells Headbangers, which is a fitting home for an avidly old-school band like Hammr. Like many groups on Hells Headbangers’ roster, Hammr pays sonic tribute to groups like Bathory, Sodom, Venom, and early Slayer. But equally as important to Hammr's sound is the resounding echo of d-beat legends Discharge.
In fact, it’s Discharge's influence that sees Hammr stand out in the metalpunk crowd. Reason being, Hammr aren't afraid to truly embrace the maniacal metalpunk madness. They don't hesitate to tear into their songs with a bloodthirsty bite. They're prepared to mangle their music and they happily red-line the harshness as well. And those are all crucial 'punk' elements in the metalpunk equation.
Hammr shows an appreciation of how Discharge explored the creative possibilities of sheer abrasive noise. And tracks off Unholy Destruction, like "Satanic Raid", "Under Black Command", and "Eternal Prey", duly feature swarms of jagged riffs and rapid-fire d-beat. What really makes those songs though, is how Hammr just keeps ramping up the relentless and wild ante, with every passing second, and the band maintains that ferocity throughout Unholy Destruction.
On the one hand, Hammr's diehard commitment to a single-minded (and always blistering) musical vision is admirable. But it’s also going to be a make or break feature for some. Obviously, some metal fans want ultra-precise music rendered with crunchy clarity. But Hammr deals in raw fucking mayhem, and intricacy is often buried deep in Unholy Destruction's filthy mix.
Hammr is also dedicated to fusing ferocious black/speed metal with feral punk at a warp-speed pace. And Unholy Destruction holds fast to that scorched-earth aesthetic. There's no 'explorative this’ or 'progressive that’ anywhere. Unholy Destruction is just rip, shit or bust, through and through.
Obviously, if you’re a fan of non-stop berserker blasts of metalpunk, that’s all great news. And Hammr definitely matches their unhinged attitude with a vivid recognition of what made the birth of extreme metal so thrilling in the first place.
Of course, that’s not a unique frame of mind, as such, and galloping songs like "Sadistic Poison", "Death Reign", or "Demonic Rites" share stylistic similarities with the works of fellow old-school worshippers like Midnight or Toxic Holocaust. It's no surprise then to discover that Midnight’s Commander Vanik contributed savage solos to Unholy Destruction or that he mixed the album too. Toxic Holocaust’s head-honcho, Joel Grind, mastered Unholy Destruction as well. And Midnight, Toxic Holocaust and Hammr do share very similar creative convictions.
Unholy Destruction isn't breaking any new ground. But the album's frenzied tracks are primed to remind you why underground metal first grabbed a hold of your rotten little heart. Hammr deliver whirlwind broadsides of barbed riffs and barked vocals and Unholy Destruction’s sole focus is 666% lawless intensity. Hammr might be a lone-wolf right now. But after Unholy Destruction's release, there’ll be plenty of others only too willing to join the pack.