You know when you get a band with ******* hammer as the name, there’s a solid chance you know exactly what it will be, so I’ll make this simple. As simple as the music contained on DungeönHammer’s debut album. Do you like  classic Hellhammer or Celtic Frost? Do you like Dark Throne‘s latter material?

If you answered “OUGHHH”  or “HEEEEYY”  to either of those questions, the debut album from this French/Dutch duo consisting of  ‘R’ (drums) and ‘E” (vocals, guitars, bass), should be a easy, instant purchase for you.

Much like other obviously named  tribute bands like Dishammer, there isn’t much else to expound upon. This is sneering, grimy, riffy blackish punk/thrash with a focus on swampy mid paced riffs and gruff vocals. The  distinct Celtic Frost guitar tone and pace give it an old school musk without being to overly raw or primal, and the album is essentially one long 11 song 38 minute cover/tribute to “In the Shadow of the Horns” (listen to the start of “Sworn in Blood”) and “Circle of the Tyrants”.

That said, the songs are largely pretty long from 4 to 7 minutes long, so with only “Sworn in Blood” and “Oracle of Death” (with one of the album’s only blast beats) clocking in under 3 minutes. There’s a couple of more crawling numbers like closer ‘Stigma Diabloli’ and “Ad Infinitum” and 1 more uptempo song in  “Empire De la Mort”, but for the most part the songs all have that instantly recognizable gait and lurch that Tom G Warrior made famous.

That’s about it really, there’s no point in trying to flesh the review out. DungeönHammer know what they want to sound like and you know exactly what you are getting. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments