Hammers ‘Death Wobbles’
‘What the fuck is going on!?’ As opening lines on a debut album go, it’s right up there with ‘Oh my god!’ from Welcome To The Jungle. Like that classic album, this album, the debut from Gold Coast Hammers, grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go in similar fashion.
The incendiary opening song Apeshit is a furious tale of trying to get through the day without exploding to music equally as frantic. Rolling riffs, gargantuan breakdowns and a vocal delivery sharp as a silver bullet. It’s Australia’s version of Falling Down.
It’s the ferocity through hardcore punk grooves, rock n’ roll attitude, all sprinkled with melody and in the pockets drums that makes this a quintessential Aussie album.
Title track Death Wobbles, is angst and fire before breaking down into a serene and harmonious slab of post hardcore goodness.
The bands ability to draw from all corners yet sound unique to anyone else that sets them apart. The Well brings heavy Alice In Chains vibes if AIC covered Hammers with the remit of a being deathcore band. If you can get your noggin around that.
The bands seamless and flawless diversity extends to Traps, a swaying, catchy song which makes you not realise the lyrical content isn’t light hearted at all. You’ll be humming it. Seriously.
The sound of the album is lush. A hands on band, Lucas Stone’s guitars swagger like Travolta, Ruckus drums are divine and Fish’s vocals, chameleon, descriptive and powerful. Hammers sonically are stank face good.
Top Fun is a prime example of this as time changes are handled without fuss, screams sit next to poetry readings and riffs continually roll like Iommi on a coke binge.
The bands humour is prevalent throughout. The obvious fun they have with each other pores out of the music. Even when the content goes from volleyball in the summer to dark places of the soul, this isn’t a drab album. The is the soundtrack to the summer.
From picking up your mum at the supermarket in Salad Fingers to fighting inner demons in the epic Yowie, the hardcore venom of Rat Prince being forged in the firing pits of hell, or the old school punk of ‘Hot Wheels’, this album has too many kick you in the balls songs to try and skip any.
However, I will finish with Fucked Around And Found Out. If ever a title told you the song. Flammable, yet ice cold. The sort of song that would cut your heart out using a spoon. It’s gonna happen and it’s gonna be raw. Brilliant, building, brooding, ball crushing. It’s Hammers in a nutshell.
Death Wobbles is a hell of debut album. It’s dark humour, matched with its musical animalistic power, its dexterity, makes its a must for any metal fan who likes their music with an attitude of fuck you.
Album Review By Iain McCallum
Death Wobbles is out Friday January 23 through Summerland Records
Pre-order & pre-save DEATH WOBBLES (Album):
https://ditto.fm/death-wobbles
