OVERTAKER

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!

Hammers of Misfortune is a progressive thrash four-piece currently based somewhere out of Montana. Every source outside of their Bandcamp listed their location as San Francisco, but Bandcamp said they're based in Montana. So I'm guessing a relocation occurred somewhat recently.

Geographical unclarity aside, they've got a distinctive sound. Female-fronted acts outside of power and traditional metal are somewhat rare, and this band is quite keys-forward, especially for a thrash band. The vocals remind me a lot of Detente, and the rich synths and organs could fit in perfectly with any classic prog band. The riffs are fast and complex, though, and the music overall is uncompromising.

Overtaker opens on its title track. Sweeping Mellotron complements the jittery, anxious guitar line. The song shifts between haunting, pummeling, and contemplative. This track, like most of the rest of the album, is concise, with no wasted notes. Twisted, complex riffs are packed in densely without feeling overcrowded.

"Dark Brennius" is a galloping powerhouse that features some glittering keys that would be right at home on an early Deep Purple album. The solo on this track is a furious, swirling maelstrom, and the rapid oscillations between slow and fast passages are exhilarating.

"Vipers Cross" features some fun Baroque vocal and keyboard passages amid furious guitar riffs. This cut also features some of the album's most explicitly interstellar synthesizer solos.In contrast, "Don't Follow the Lights" opens on a slow note, with acoustic guitar and dreamy synth pads leading things off. Punk-influenced aggression soon supplants this idyll. The acoustic opening is reincorporated during the song's midsection in a satisfying way that blends this gentle moment with metal.

A sinister drone and swirling guitar arpeggio kicks off "Ghost Hearts".This cut is full of this album's expected guitar theatrics; it's an immensely fun trip with lots of satisfying little surprises. "Outside Our Minds", meanwhile, opens in a way that one would expect from Dark Angel. Acoustic guitar arpeggios intercut with edgy electric riffs, and the verses are muscular and powerful.

"The Raven's Bell" prominently features flashy, neoclassical riffage and an ELP-inspired bridge.The bridge of "Orbweaver" is the mellowest moment on the album, but the rest of the song keeps pace with Overtaker's usual breakneck pace.

Overtaker ends with its longest song, "Aggressive Perfection". The opening guitar passage is slow and groovy. It channels Pantera (a band I'm honestly not a fan of) and blends it with eerie keyboard effects.Once this song gets going, it synthesizes all the album's best tendencies, with blistering riffs, technical solos, and rich keyboard passages.

The latest release from Hammers of Misfortune is an impactful, powerful release. The riffs are tight, fiery, and fun. I love the way this band has expanded the usual textural scope of thrash metal to include layered keyboard effects. If you're looking for something aggressive and creative that holds up over multiple listens, this is for you.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2023/01/16/album-review-hammers-of-misfortune-overtaker/