Does anyone else class local gigs as a sort of separate entity? Part of the gig goers experience is surely the travel, the train beers, missing the encore because the rail service sucks, you know the usual. Whilst that is all fair and well, I’ve had equally brilliant times in my home town. You get to know people in your local scene, fans, bands and promoters alike and generally some of these affairs can be solid boozy parties. Why am I harping on about this? Well, because the very band we’re speaking about today I saw in a now (sadly) newly run pub known as The Swan, which was under its prior management a beautifully sweaty dive clustered with a gaggle of alternative reprobates like myself.

That band is Wolfbastard, the storming Manchester based Crust driven Metal maniacs whose style can really only be described as visceral. Having formed in 2012 the band worked hard to pump out their eponymously named debut in 2015, from here they released a second record, Graveyard Sessions in 2018, another bolstering aggressive performance. With a move away from UKEM (a strong record label worthy of your attention) the band decided to release their all important third album through Clobber Records, but is it up to par?

Kicking off with Punk laced Metal mayhem is Can’t Escape The Grave. Now I don’t mean for this to sound demeaning but if ever there were a prime candidate for Pub Rock Metal then Wolfbastard would be the ticket. They have an energetic flare to them, the kind one would expect from some new school Punk Rock band, but they combine this with chaotic Death and Black Metal influence for a wholly (or unholy) symphony of death. The punches keep up through into the title track, technically the music isn’t in the least bit advanced, think Midnight and you won’t be far off, but does that matter? No, whilst I’m happy to pine over the talents of guitar virtuosos I can equally appreciate totally ham-fisted carnage. So many of the songs are so to the point, and that’s something I personally love, an almost Grindcore work ethic. Death Creeping In is perhaps one of the best examples, catchy, simple, lots of ‘oughs’, what more do you want?

Does it get a bit dull though? Well not really, Morbid Fucking Hell is another aptly named banger, this is the kind of vocal delivery and track titling I love, so Metal it’s painful almost. It’s basically just a record chock full of good times. It’s drinking music for a heavy Friday night at your local Rockers bar, filled with crowdsurfing in a tiny venue, human pyramids and Punk and Metalhead unity. Now to be boring and critical though, yes I can firmly say I really enjoy this album, but equally I take it for what it is, and outside of a live setting I’m not overtly inclined to spin it time and time again. However, for what it’s worth it’s a stellar example of the absolutely brilliant UK Metal scene of late.

Maybe I judge albums too harshly nowadays, I see the glints and I can easily find myself in a rabbit hole of praise. However, in this such instance I think it’s only a case of being fair, what the album conjures up in me most importantly is live music. It has that certain tone and style to it, is it a bad thing not to revisit an album time and time again? I don’t think so, it doesn’t make the music any less valid, sometimes it’s all about the moment and all in all Hammer The Bastards captures that moment of live music so well which is just what we need right now.

(8/10 George Caley)

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https://clobberrecords.bandcamp.com/album/wolfbastard-hammer-the-bastards