HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE — Overtaker (review)

HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE — Overtaker album cover

Album · 2022 · Technical Thrash Metal

4/5 · 2023-01-08
siLLy puPPy

A true San Francisco original, HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE you never know what you’re gonna get with a new album as musical steelworkers forest molten metal into various shapes and forms. One thing is for sure and that is that each album sounds a bit familiar yet rather distinct and the party never seems to end as this musical project has been around for more than a quarter of a century if you count the days as Unholy Cadaver that is. Essentially the brainchild of guitarist / vocalist John Cobbett of Slough Feg, Ludicra and VHOL, this band has been hammering out exquisitely original metal since it’s blackened folk metal debut “The Bastard: A Tale Told In Three Acts” all the way back in 2001.

A true juggling act of eclecticism, HAMMERS has sallied forth onto the metal battlefield with an arsenal of sound effects and stylistic creativity. Ranging from trad NWOBHM and psych fueled hard rock of the 70s to blackened folk metal and technical thrash, this band and its rotating cast of characters never ceases to amaze with a new spin on its rather distinctly brash yet melodic ambit of colorful cleverness. Just when fans thought the band was down and out and devoid of any life, along comes OVERTAKER, the seventh release a mere six years after “Dead Revolution” took the band into a more energetic direction with technical thrash metal bombast as the canvass to paint upon.

Always one to take the path least tread, Cobbett continues down he path of “Dead Revolution” into the hybridizing orgy of technical thrash metal with an unholy threesome of progressive rock and psychedelia. Gone are the airy folk elements of yore and in are damaging stampedes of decibelage and uncompromising speed metal leanings bringing a bit of 80s excess to the world of creative complexity. Psychedelic thrash metal hasn’t exactly been a huge thing but that’s exactly where HAMMERS takes the deep plunge with OVERTAKER. Wasting no time getting to the point, the title track openings with a thunderous roar with galloping guitar riffs pummeling the senses like a war of the gods replete with chariots of fire lambasting the serene placidity of contentment leaving all but the adventurous listener along for the wild ride.

In many ways this album is like a family reunion of sort. Ex-bassist / vocalist Jamie Myers (now of Sabbath Assembly) is back and sounding like a she-demon exhaling flames of passion as she shreds her vox box as if she’s exorcising demonic forces. So too does former guitarist Mike Scalzi also of Slough Feg join in for a couple vocal performances. Other than keyboard wizard Sigrid Sheie, this rendition of HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE is a completely new beast with none other than drummer Blake Anderson and bassist Frank Chin from the tech thrash powerhouse band Vektor. No wonder this album is an Earth-scorcher. Ironically the keys point to classic Deep Purple which makes this sound like Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord have had their consciousness downloaded into more youthful thrash metal devotees. A strange yet satisfying mix indeed.

This album proceeds at a breakneck pace thrashing and flailing about like a wounded dragon spitting fire storms. There are fleeting moments of psychedelic dominance however. You know, nice little rest stops during a dreaded battle between forces. “Don’t Follow The Lights” offers an intro and outro of downtime as well as some trippy key action in the middle. Since prog rock is a key element into the entire HAMMERS playbook, of course off-kilter time signature freakouts punctuate the thrashy insouciance that only unrelents for the occasional neoclassical gymnastics or metal exit stage-lefting. Add some mellotrons and Hammond B3 and you have a recipe for the most bizarrely performed thrash metal album since well, i guess ever! Almost like a clash of the titans moment here. Thrash metal, prog rock, psychedelia, female vocal classic rock. Better than i was hoping for! HAMMER on, people!