Deathhammer – Evil Power

“Evil Power” marks record number three for blackened thrashers Deathhammer. These guys come from Norway, where there is a somewhat quiet, but very solid thrash scene brewing. This album packs a quick punch with just 8 tracks spanning about 35 minutes, but rest assured, it does not let up at any point. Fans of very early Destruction, Kreator, and Sodom will love what Deathhammer offers up. The vocal performance on this record would be most akin to the Schmier, as there are plenty of ear-piercing screams. Alongside these screeching moments are a more visceral vocal approach, not unlike a band like Witchtrap. In fact, perhaps the best way to describe Deathhammer would be a faster and more aggressive version of Witchtrap.

Most of the riffs on this record take classic NWOBHM sounds, dial up the speed about 60-100 BPM, and make them slightly more evil. The result is an album that takes no prisoners with its savage compositions. There are however, some riffs that are somewhat similar to the galloping charges led by Destruction on their early records (see "Sinner's Possession" as one great example). Although the band is successful in creating a few memorable tunes, that is not what “Evil Power” is about. Fortunately, the band makes up for this by delivering an uncompromising record. In addition to the endless number of great riffs, Deathhammer has some truly wicked lead guitar playing. Straddling the line between something more melodic and Slayer-styled solos, the shredding on this record could not be more fitting.

Highlights on this record include “Total Metal” and “Satan Is Back” (although as a friend pointed out to me, this track raises the question, where did Satan go?). There isn’t really any reason why these tracks stand above the rest of the crowd, as any of these songs could click with you immediately; these are just the two that work best for me. For all intents and purposes, the songs on this album are very similar. Even the closer, which is the longest song by about a minute, is no real different from the songs that only span 3 minutes. This makes “Evil Power” is an incredibly consistent release, and one that will be fun to listen to from start to finish every time!

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Highlights

"Total Metal"

"Satan Is Back"

Final Rating

3.75/5 or 75%. 

Written by Scott