UMUR "Tortured Existence" is the debut full-length studio album by US, New York based thrash metal act Demolition Hammer. The album was released through Century Media Records in September 1990. Demolition Hammer formed in 1986 under the Overlord monicker, but changed their name to the current one in 1987. The "Skull Fracturing Nightmare" demo was released in 1988 and it was followed by the "Necrology" demo from 1989. The latter secured Demolition Hammer their label deal with Century Media Records, and if you´re familiar with the high quality of the material on the demo, that deal makes perfect sense.

So it´s only natural that all six tracks from the "Necrology (1989)" demo were re-recorded and included on "Tortured Existence". The original CD version of the album included the bonus track "Cataclysm" (which was not included on the original vinyl version of the album), which was a track also featured on the "Skull Fracturing Nightmare (1988)" demo, but other than that track, no other tracks from the first demo are included on "Tortured Existence". So if you already have the two demos the only new material on this album are "Gelid Remains" and "Paracidal Epitaph".

Stylistically the material on the album are aggressive and brutal thrash metal. Sometimes referred to as death/thrash metal. The death metal reference is probably mostly a result of "Tortured Existence" being recorded at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida, with producer Scott Burns, which/who were basically the house studio and producer for the vast majority of the early US death metal acts (artists like Obituary, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse). Many of whom recorded their early releases simultaneously with Demolition Hammer recording "Tortured Existence". "Tortured Existence" features a murky, low-end, and very raw sounding production job, which definitely could lead your thoughts toward death metal, but if you listen to the thrashy riffs, the blistering guitar solos, the song structures, and lead vocalist/bassist Steve Reynolds caustic voice and aggressive and raw delivery, everything just scream thrash metal. Another thrash metal/crossover element, which is quite dominant on the album is the omnipresent use of riot gang choir vocals, which is probably due to Demolition Hammer being from New York and having been influenced by the strong 80s crossover/hardcore scene of that city.

Although Demolition Hammer use tried and true thrash metal elements, and basically just add some brutality, aggression, and heaviness to the mix, they still manage to create a sound and style that is unmistakably their own. Reynolds has a recognisable voice and his diction/phrasing is outstanding. The often intelligent and rather different lyrical subjects also provide the album with something special and help make the album stand out on the scene. How about ".44 Caliber Brain Surgery", which is about a man so haunted by his phobia for germs and parasites, that he attempts suicide, or "Neanderthal", telling the story of our barrel chested ancestors and how they hunt and kill, or "Hydrophobia", which is a song about rabies. It´s still about violence and other nasty things, like a lot of other death- and thrash metal artists are also writing about, but these lyrics are just more interesting and more well written, than what is usual for the genre.

I know I don´t share my opinion about "Tortured Existence" with many people, and I fully understand those who don´t think it´s a particularly special release, but to my ears it´s one of the best brutal thrash metal releases out there. The musicianship is on a high level on all posts and Reynolds is an absolutely brilliant raw singing vocalist, able to deliver his parts with great passion and bite, and the songwriting is both intriguing and effectful/memorable. The sound production is a bit murky and could have prospered from a bit more clearness and detail, but on the other hand it´s so damn heavy and punchy that it makes up for some of it, and the production ultimately ends up suiting the material well. A 5 star (100%) rating is fully deserved.

SilentScream213 One of the best Thrash bands who continuously saw production issues finally gets a release that does them justice. Epidemic of Violence has all the unbridled aggression, insane riffage and manic rhythm that has been prominent since their Necrology demo, but at last we get crisp audio that allows their full potential to blast through.

Demolition Hammer are all the way on the “almost Death Metal” spectrum of Thrash, not only in terms of heaviness, but stylistically as well. Near Tech-Thrash levels of precision and abrupt changes are abound, and the rhythm is a constant pummel of hyper-energized force. Lyrically, the songs focus on violence and death, but are well-written with a very impressive vocabulary, and impeccable delivery.

The artist and album names tell you exactly what to expect here, and god damn do they deliver. Classic Death tinged Thrash, played with vigorous precision and executed flawlessly. You as the listener are their victim as they beat you senseless track after track, the only reprieve being a short instrumental “Orgy of Destruction” before they’re back to smashing your bones and skinning you alive. Also gonna shout out that album closer, “Aborticide”… phenomenal showcase of dark aggression.

UMUR "Epidemic of Violence" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US, New York, Bronx based thrash metal act Demolition Hammer. The album was released through Century Media Records in March 1992. "Epidemic of Violence" features the same lineup who recorded "Tortured Existence (1990)". Demolition Hammer achieved some success with their debut album and did a European tour with Obituary and Morgoth to support the album. They were a relatively known act on the extreme metal scene in those days, but while they were often touring with death metal artists and sometimes referred too as a death metal act (probably as a concequence of the dark and brutal Scott Burns production on their debut album), the truth is they just played a very aggressive and brutal type of thrash metal.

Death/thrash is probably not the worst description of their style, but on "Epidemic of Violence", they actually lean more towards the thrash metal side of their sound. The music features good rhytmic variation, razor sharp thrashy riffing, aggressive raw vocals (and the occasional riot gang vocal shout), and blistering guitar solos. References to artists like 90s Carcass and late 80s/early 90s Kreator aren´t completely wrong. Predominantly because of the snarling rabid dog vocals, but also occasionally because of the riffing style and the generally high level of aggression in the music. Artists in the brutal, fast-paced, and raw end of the US thrash metal spectrum, like Dark Angel, Slayer, Gammacide, and Devastation, are also valid references.

While the above mentioned rhythmic variation is one of Demolition Hammer´s great assets, and a feature in their music, which ensures that the music is always entertaining, the tracks on "Epidemic of Violence" aren´t always easy to tell apart, and compared to the relatively hook laden debut album, "Epidemic of Violence" is an overall less accessible size. The cold and sterile sound production isn´t helping the album to sound more welcoming, and it is in many ways a very harsh listen, featuring few hooks and a relentlessly aggressive delivery, which could have prospered from an atmosphere change or two during the album´s playing time. Some of the heavy mid-paced parts on tracks like "Human Dissection" and "Carnivorous Obsession" work wonders, but are soon followed by fast-paced and somewhat monotone aggressive thrashy sections. Highlights in addition to the two mentioned tracks are "Pyroclastic Annihilation", "Omnivore", and "Aborticide". The two latter mentioned are absolutely scorching fast-paced thrash metal tracks.

The delivery is convincing and the music is skillfully played, but when evaluating the album as a whole it´s hard to look past the lack of variation between tracks, and the harsh sounding production, which sometimes blurs out what the guitars are playing. "Tortured Existence (1990)" was a brilliant debut album and was always going to be hard to top, and in that light "Epidemic of Violence" is a pretty good sophomore release by Demolition Hammer, but it´s also slightly disappointing that they weren´t able to follow the debut up with another release of the same high songwriting standards. Because that´s where "Epidemic of Violence" is mostly lacking compared to "Tortured Existence (1990)". a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is still more than deserved though (and that might even be a bit too low) and that speaks volumes about what a great band Demolition Hammer were.

UMUR "Necrology" is the 2nd demo release by US thrash metal act Demolition Hammer. Since the release of the "Skull Fracturing Nightmare (1988)" demo, the band have become a four-piece. Original drummer John Salerno has been replaced by Vinny Daze and the band have also added a second guitarist in Derek Sykes. The usual suspects are James Reilly on guitars/riot vocals and Steve Reynolds on Bass/Lead & Riot Vocals. The former performed lead vocals on a couple of tracks on "Skull Fracturing Nightmare (1988)" but on "Necrology" Steve Reynolds sings all lead vocals.

The music on "Necrology" pretty much continues the vicious thrash metal attack of "Skull Fracturing Nightmare (1988)" but it´s even more aggressive and there´s also an added brutal edge, which often earned Demolition Hammer the death/thrash label back then. The decision to let Steve Reynolds sing all lead vocals was a wise decision IMO. He possesses a caustic snarl yet pronounce the words in a way that enables you to catch and understand every phrase. And there are lots to enjoy if you dig into the lyrics. They are actually pretty quirky and evolve around everything from rabis, plague and Neanderthals. All written in a clever way miles ahead of the lyrics of most of their contemporaries. The absolutely adorable lyrics about fear of bacteria (typically associated with Obsessive–compulsive disorder) for "44 Caliber Brain Surgery" (that song title is so successfully tongue in cheek that I smile everytime I read it) takes the prize though. There´s that bizarre yet extremely charming "Carcass" wit about them, that few artists are able to produce.

It´s not only the vocals which are sharp and aggressive, the music certainly follows suit. Nice variation in pace and rythms, fast and intriguing guitar solos and one aggressive and brutal thrashy riff after another. Everything is helped along by a powerful and raw sound production that doesn´t necessarily have demo recording written all over it. In other words a very professional sounding release considering the time it was released.

There are six tracks on the 24:04 minutes long demo. All six tracks would be included on the band´s full-length studio album "Tortured Existence (1990)" in re-recorded versions. These demo versions are pretty close to the studio versions albeit delivered in a slightly more raw and unpolished fashion.

For me to justify giving a demo release a 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating, it has to be something special and "Necrology" certainly is. Excellent musicianship, a personal sound in a genre where many artists have a tendency to sound a lot alike, a powerful and raw sound production that sound better than a lot of studio releases from those days and songwriting to die for. "Necrology" are simply among the elite when it comes to demo releases in the more brutal end of the thrash metal spectrum.

UMUR "Skull Fracturing Nightmare" is the first demo released by US thrash metal act Demolition Hammer. The demo was released in February 1988. At this point the band were a three-piece consisting of James Reilly on guitars/lead & riot vocals, Steve Reynolds on Bass/Lead & Riot Vocals and John Salerno on Drums. Steve Reynolds would eventually become the band´s sole lead vocalist, but on this demo the lead vocal duties are shared between him and James Reilly who sing lead on two tracks each.

The music on "Skull Fracturing Nightmare" is aggressive thrash metal on the brutal side. The playing is fast, tight, fierce and Demolition Hammer generally take no prisoners. Out of the two vocalists I prefer Steve Reynolds. He has the right rabid dog sneering for the music. The band´s trademark riot vocals are present on this demo too providing a slight touch of hardcore to the sound. There are four tracks on the 15:09 minutes long demo. Only "Cataclysm" made it unto the band´s debut full-length studio album "Tortured Existence (1990)" albeit in a shorter and more tight version. The sound production is very good considering that this is a demo.

"Skull Fracturing Nightmare" is a promising demo release and it´s obvious these guys were on to something special already this early on. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.