| The debut full-length by this Finnish band. Aptly titled "Riders of the Wasteland", Violent Hammer´s debut album encompasses their simple yet scintillating aesthetic: the full span of Death Metal and Black Metal from the 80´s through the early 90´s, early Thrash Metal, and most significantly early Grindcore and UK/Swedish HC and Crust from the 80´s, and blasts the barbaric mix into oblivion with the aplomb of a nuclear fallout. Unremittingly hammering and remorselessly primitive, each of the 9 barbaric slabs of song across the album gets in, gets out, and fucking destroys. As such, "Riders of the Wasteland" is deceptively catchy, and retains a twisted sense of fun within its gnarled and gnarling sonics. And although Violent Hammer here invoke many names (Blood, Profanatica, Repulsion, Extreme Noise Terror, Bolt Thrower, Mob 47, Napalm Death...), the manner in which they slice and dice all these influences bespeaks an identity wholly unique in today´s underground landscape. |
