If there’s any metal band of this century who serve as a living, breathing testament to the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy, it’s Deathhammer. The Norwegian black/thrash duo has been putting out the same album for 15 years, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. Throughout the pizza thrash wasteland of the early ’10s, albums like Onward to the Pits (2012) and Evil Power (2015) served as a fitting alternative for those who preferred their thrash to be raw, rotten, stripped down, and evil. As the modern metal landscape continues to grow increasingly safe, formulaic, and predictable, Deathhammer stick to their guns with their sixth full length attack, Crimson Dawn.
From the moment the opening “Abyssic Thunder” kicks in, Deathhammer wastes no time getting down to business. Those blistering riffs, blindingly fast drums, and hellish vocals consisting of throat-shredding shouts and ear-piercing shrieks take charge, travelling at a pace of some 666 MPH. It’s that Destruction circa Sentence of Death formula expanded upon in a manner that the legendary Teutonic titans never expanded upon themselves (No, not even on the brilliant Infernal Overkill). “Satan’s Sword” keeps the high speed blitzkrieg going, flourishing with whacked out traditional metal soloing and unabashed headbanger mania.
Of course, Destruction aren’t the only ’80s thrash gods whose influence Deathhammer proudly wear on their gauntlets. Comparisons can be drawn to Show No Mercy era Slayer and Whiplash on speedier cuts like “Stygian Lust” and the title track, both boasting that “NWOBHM on steroids” touch that thrash made a touchstone in its earliest days. There’s also the lead riff to “Die Eternal”, which sounds like a distant cousin of Exodus’ “A Lesson in Violence”, with the remainder of the song keeping up that sonic savagery of its ancestor. No doubt about it, if Baloff was alive today, he’d feast upon the Deathhammer catalog for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
While Crimson Dawn is littered with first wave black metal nuances, the album saves its blackest and lengthiest track for last in “Into the Blackness of Hell”. As the title foreshadows, this is 7+ minutes of black-thrash barbarity, boasting tremolo riffage that blurs the line between the genre’s earliest days (i.e. Bathory, Sodom, etc.) and the second wave that would have Deathhammer’s homeland of Norway in a chokehold 35 years ago. As the song unfolds, the overall chaos intensifies and the composition grows darker, culminating in a hypnotic, ritualistic chant of “Hail Satan!” to close the album out.
If nothing more, Crimson Dawn continues to uphold Deathhammer’s reputation as one of the most consistent acts in metal today. It’s far from revolutionary, and I might even argue past efforts were more memorable upon first listen. However, there’s no denying its rightful place in the Deathhammer canon: An 8 song glimpse into the twisted minds of these two Norwegian devils, perpetually trapped in a wicked metal time warp circa ’85. Let’s hope for our sake, Deathhammer stays stuck in said warp for another 6(66) albums!
7 out of 10
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
For fans of: Destruction, Slayer, Antichrist