There have been several bands in the rock/metal space that have used the name Hammer over the years, which is not surprising considering that when you think of the tool words like “force” come to mind. The group that bears the name Hammer for this review hails from Edinburgh, Scotland and released their self-titled debut back in 2020 right as the COVID pandemic was shutting everything down. On that debut the group showcased a rawer sound that channeled a lot of modern groove/thrash metal, giving them a foundation to build off down the road. With a new singer in their ranks as of 2023, they have done just that on sophomore album Trapped, which brings in a bit of additional death and other extreme metal elements while retaining the heavy grooves from before. It’s a noticeable step up in both writing and production, and while Trapped does fall into a bit of a pattern by the end there’s plenty to like here for those that want a heavy hitting record from start to finish.
There’s an immediate shift in production values that’s noticeable when comparing Trapped to its predecessor, as some of the rawness has been stripped away in favor of a big, booming sound that focuses as much on the low end as possible. Each of the drum hits thump you right in the chest, and the bass has a similar rumble that make the grooves have even more of an impact. Hammer takes this lumbering foundation and layers melodies and other elements over top of it, as sometimes they have more of a traditional groove/thrash sound while songs like “Basilisk” come off as a bit more 2000s melodic death metal oriented. “Trapped in a House With a Maniac” also shakes things up some bit with some stop/start rhythms that channel more of a Meshuggah approach, but it never turns into full on djent. Even when things skew towards melodic leads the band doesn’t let off the gas, and this is an album that tries to hit as hard as possible from one song to the next. Trapped features two updated tracks from the debut (“Gorehound” and “Golem”), and while I’m not usually a fan of re-using material on back-to-back albums given the change in singers and increased recording fidelity it does work here. Admittedly the way the grooves and melodies intertwine do form something of a familiar pattern, and this does make some of the passages blur together over repeat listens. Given the brevity and brute force approach there’s still plenty here for fans of the style but shaking up the formula and varying the attack would help Hammer stand out even more by the time album three rolls around.
Where Hammer’s previous singer had a bit more of a metalcore and groove metal growl, Jim Andrews brings a scream/growl combination that covers a decent amount of ground. The guttural lows are a lot more death metal influenced, but as Andrews moves up in pitch he brings in a bit more of that groove/thrash type of growl that’s just a bit clearer. The highs are also notable, as the sheer amount of distortion and grittiness heard on songs like “Trapped in a House With a Maniac” are really intense and stick with you after the first time through. The full-bodied production has also benefited the vocals, as the screams and growls sit slightly above the weightier instrumentation without overpowering them. It’s clear that Hammer has found a vocalist that can keep pace with their intensity, and this is an element that’s kept me coming back to Trapped.
Hammer finds a sweet spot between groove/thrash, melodic death metal, and other extreme metal styles on their sophomore effort. Sometimes they’re a bit more Soulfly or A Life Once Lost, while other moments recall Meshuggah and 2000s melodic death metal, but everything is woven together in ways that don’t feel too close to any one band. The bludgeoning grooves and melodic leads do sound a bit too similar from one song to the next though, which does dampen some of the impact, but if that combination of styles sounds appealing there’s still plenty here to keep listeners coming back. It’ll be interesting to hear how Hammer can build upon Trapped from here, as they’ve laid out a strong foundation.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
