While Destruction have long since abandoned the primal blackened thrash of early releases like Sentence of Death (1984) and Infernal Overkill (1985), there’s no shortage of bands who kept the spirit alive in the decades to follow. One such band is Norway’s Deathhammer. Over the past 15+ years, this devilish duo (Sergeant Salsten on bass, guitars, and vocals, Sadomancer on drums, guitars, and backing vocals) have specialized in the finest first wave black metal worship Scandinavia has to offer. I don’t mean this as any disrespect towards Nekromantheon, Antichrist, Condor, and the likes. They all rule too, but it’s Deathhammer who time and time again manages to knock my socks off, kick my ass, and so on.
Their latest album, Electric Warfare, continues this celebration of all things fast, filthy, and true. Deathhammer isn’t the type of band you explore from release to release expecting some drastic creative evolution. Much like an AC/DC or Motörhead, you know exactly what you’re going to get. In their case, it’s barbaric vocals that alternate between demonic rasps and high pitched shrieks, rapid fire guitar riffing, diabolical drumming, crude delivery, and a punkish attitude to round it all out. This is the formula demonstrated on such crazed cuts as “Savage Aggressor”, “Enter the Morbid”, and “Rapid Violence”: hellish black thrash blitzkriegs on the senses, guaranteed to snap your neck in half.
It’s one thing to play aggressive old school thrash. It’s another thing to do so with the integrity and intensity as Deathhammer. At no point on this release do they sound like they’re trying to ape Show No Mercy or Bonded by Blood. Many of these riffs sound like they could’ve been featured on such classic efforts, especially those that make up the closing “Violent Age of Bloodshed”. On the thrash side of things, it doesn’t matter whether they’re pushing the dimensions of speed itself or laying down some nasty midtempo mosh riffage. Both approaches are equal part deadly.
An aspect of this band that doesn’t get praised enough is their musicianship. By no means are Deathhammer virtuosos on the scale of *insert prog metal band here*, but both members play off of each others intensity in the same way as classic Venom or Hellhammer. Speaking of prog, dare I say I hear the slightest shade of such on the foreboding “Thrown to the Abyss”? I don’t necessarily mean prog in the traditional sense, but rather in the context of say Iron Maiden circa 1980 (i.e. “Phantom of the Opera”), where there’s no shortage of exciting passages that keep the listener hanging on. And while I’m praising the outliers on this album, I must give a major shoutout to my choice cut, “Return to Sodom / Soldiers of Darkness”. Ever wonder what Exciter would sound like if they played black metal? Look no further.
Electric Warfare is evil enough for the kvlt crowd, fast enough for the thrashers, and retro enough for the traditional purists. If you can’t get down with it, there’s a good chance you aren’t a metalhead to begin with. The strike of the Deathhammer remains lethal as ever. Stand in its way and you’re bound to be crushed under it’s wrath! Can I get an “OUGH!”
8 out of 10
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
For fans of: Destruction, Antichrist, Exciter