US Progressive Metal merchants Hammers of Misfortune have returned with their seventh studio album and their first since ‘Dead Revolution’ back in 2016. This year’s new opus is entitled ‘Overtaker’ and will see the light of day as an LP vinyl release through the ever-reliable label Cruz Del Sur.
This is my very first time experiencing the madness of Hammers of Misfortune, but I’ll be damned if I’m not finding their energetic brand of Progressive Rock fused with Heavy and Thrash Metal tendencies rather entertaining. I also have to admit to being somewhat intrigued by this band due to various members being involved previously with bands such as Ludicra and Ails, who I read about in the excellent ‘USBM: A Revolution of Identity in American Black Metal’, and went on to thoroughly enjoy musically.
I grew up listening to Progressive Rock and in particular Genesis, and the devotion and expertise that Hammers of Misfortune put into the Proggy nature of their music is both heartening and wonderous. ‘Overtaker’ is riddled with expansive guitar melodies and beautiful, sweeping and delicate synth harmonies, but also maniacally frenetic shredding guitar tones, witchy intoxicating vocals and a drumming style that leads this album to fly by at a breath-taking rate of knots.
Each individual track takes the listener on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, really running you through the mill as one moment you are soaring along on a wandering melody and the next being transported full throttle on a wave of high speed riffage and technical guitar savagery. ‘Overtaker’ is like a thrill a minute nostalgia trip devoted to the very best of progressive Rock and Heavy Metal, and I’m now off to check out the bands back catalogue to see what I’ve been missing.
(8.5 Marksson)
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