siLLy puPPy As much as metal has expanded its tentacles across the world and sucking up any possible musical sounds and incorporating them into it chimeric monstrosity, there’s always room for the good old fashioned battle anthem sort of metal that just screams kill, kill, kill! Highly influenced by the classic thrash metal, speed metal and first wave of black metal that terrorized the 1980s, Norway’s DEATHHAMMER has been raging on for well over a decade and a half and despite the trials and tribulations of unleashing its battle calls far and wide has finally returned in 2022 with ELECTRIC WARFARE, four years after its last release “Chained To Hell.”

Yes indeed DEATHHAMMER resides in that primeval extreme metal magma when the unified forces of modern metal were still lashing out to find their own form of aural terrorism. While most modern metal bands are looking to the stars for inspiration at this point in the 21st century, DEATHHAMMER seems content keeping those golden years of 80s metal alive with the ferocity of Teutonic thrash metal pioneers Kreator, the speed metal finesse of early early Slayer and Running Wild with a pinch of black metal ingredients from the likes of early Venom.

While the band’s last album seemed to be going soft and leaving the battle n behind for a little downtime from the killing fields, DEATHHAMMER’s bloodlust has returned in full speed thrash metal fury on ELECTRIC WARFARE and in retrospect these Norwegians weren’t resting at all but merely strategizing to ensure a heavy metal victory! Hard to believe this band is nothing but two brash dudes hell bent for leather to unleash their 80s fantasies like few others in the modern era. Guitarist / bassist / vocalist Sergeant Salsten captures that perfect 80s thrash metal groove with galloping guitar riffs and bass bravado while drummer Sadomancer unleashes his fury like a pro. The speed is ramped up on ELECTRIC WARFARE sounding as if the band has been channeling its inner Sadus.

This is truly the kind of metal that you don’t realize that you really miss until you hear a competent band take you back through the wayback machine back to the 80s when this style of blackened thrash metal was all the rage. Certainly nothing revolutionary here except bringing the Teutonic battle fields into the modern studio and crafting a fully sound spectrum without sacrificing the ferocity of full out war. This is one of those albums that never lets up for a moment with a consistent rapid-fire delivery of ferocious blackened speed thrash attacks and all the better for it. True this is retro in every possible way but it’s cool to know that a modern band is keeping the flame burning for this classic stylistic approach of metal music and nobody in the modern day is as competent and engaging as DEATHHAMMER.

There’s really nothing not to like about ELECTRIC WARFARE. It delivers all the goodies of classic thrash metal and beyond. Obstreperous uproars of thundering guitar riffs and sizzling solos, distinct bass lines that banter the very core of your soul and maniac drumming that emphasizes the procession in a step by step march into blood splattering battle zone! Perhaps the one aspect i could possibly take issue with is the moments when the vocals sound a little goofy with those hilarious high pitched wails emerging from the growls reminding me a bit of Exodus’ first singer Paul Baloff. Yeah, that clown effect but these are rare and not really distracting from the main purpose of the album’s anti-religious tirade. Overall this is a super solid example of a band living up to its potential even while staunchly residing in another period of history.

Time Signature Lead us into hell...

Genre: thrash metal

Deathhammer are metal thrashing mad!

The Norwegian thrash metal duo make no buts about it on "Onwards to the Pits" which offers a blend of dirty black thrash and primitive speed metal. Right from the blastbeat-filled opener 'Deathrashing Sacrifice' to the black speed metal barrage that is the album's title track, the listener is bombarded with fast and primitive riffage which has enough aggression to keep and entire band of Norse berzerkers going for hours. While the anchor-style of the album is black speed metal, Deathhammer include some more punky elements every now and then, which can be heard in 'Voodoo Rites', for instance.

The musicianship is not to be underestimated. While the riffs and drum figures are considerably primitive, most of them are performed at breakneck speed with admirable precision. The vocals are probably an acquired taste, and, with all the high pitched screams and shrieks, it might strike many listeners as being hysterical and over the top; but as a friend told me, Deathhammer can never be too hysterical. The solos have a raw and chaotic quality to them. We are definitely not talking über technical shredding here, but that would not fit the music anyway.

The production is considerably lo-fi, and the sound quality is slightly different from track to track, but a common feature is that all all tracks are drowned in reverb - a deliberate move, I think, in an attempt to capture that unique 80 thrash metal sound.

If you like old school 80s speed metal and primitive black thrash (imagine Holy Terror, early Slayer, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, and Venom combined into a hellishly evil demon), then you should definitely giev this album a listen. It is jam packed full of fast, furious and, most importantly, evil blackened speed metal.

Time Signature Blasphemy...

Genre: raw thrash

There is no shortage of evil alliances in the form of splits featuring extreme metal bands. "When the Hammer Strikes... the Exterminator Arrives" is one such release which features Norwegian black thrashers Deathhammer and Spanish black thrashers Körgull the Exterminator, both of whom contribute two tracks.

The two Deathhammer tracks are raw and primitive, and aggressive as hell and have an almost live sound to them as if they were recorded in the band's rehearsal space or at a live gig with a very quiet audience. The vocals are aggressive and reminiscent of early German thrash metal as is the music to some extent, although there seems to be some crossover influence, too, especially in some of the riffage in the aptly titled 'Deadbangerz', which features some elements that are more along the lines of hardcore punk.

While the music is primitive and the production raw, it is also extremely aggressive and I like the raw and primitive energy that the two tracks eradiate. In this respect, the raw production fits the music perfectly.

Fans of Hellhammer and early Celtic Frost as well as fans of Toxic Holocaust, The Metaphor and similar raw and primitive black thrash acts should definitely check out this split - but hurry up, it is only available in 500 copies.

UMUR "When the Hammer Strikes......The Exterminator Arrives!!!" is a split single release by Norwegian thrash metal act Deathhammer and Spanish blackened thrash metal act Körgull the Exterminator. The split was released in October 2011 by Duplicate Records. It´s limited to 500 copies on black 7" vinyl in foldout cover.

The split features two tracks by Deathhammer and two tracks by Körgull the Exterminator distributed over 12:56 minutes of playing time and if you hadn´t smelled the rat after looking at the cover artwork it´ll become obvious right of the bat, that we´re dealing with a filthy, raw and old school thrash metal release when listening to the music. The two Deathhammer tracks sound like they were recorded in a rehearsal room. Lo-fi sound quality and filthy, raw and simple old school thrash metal is what you´ll be exposed to. The sound quality is slightly more professional on the two tracks by Körgull the Exterminator but we´re still in raw demo quality territory. Compared to the Deathhammer tracks the two tracks by Körgull the Exterminator take on a more blackened tone. The music is still old school thrash metal at it´s core though.

We´re not exactly talking brilliant musicianship or especially clever or original compositions, but there´s no denying that the savage delivery and passionate performance make up for some of that. I found myself enjoying this quite a bit and I think a 3 star rating is fair.