Search - Demolition Hammer :: Necrology

A Decent Career Retrospective

Bill Lumbergh | Initech | 12/02/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Demolition Hammer were one of thrash's best kept secrets. While the big names of thrash were fading into mediocrity, this New York City group emerged in the late 80's and lasted until the mid 90's. Three albums from this group have been released, but they have been out of print for years. However, all hope is certainly not gone, as you can re-experience the career of the group on this 2 disc compilation consisting of all 3 albums.



First album is "Tortured Existence", released in 1990. This album is a menacing assault of extreme thrash, with guitar shredding that suffocates. The intensity lasts throughout the album and never lets up.



Second album is "Epidemic of Violence", their 1992 release. This is usually seen as their best work by many, which carries on the formula of "Tortured Existence" but still holds its own by delivering relentless thrash to your ears.



However, the third album, "Time Bomb" (released in 1994), signaled a huge change in sound, focusing more on the groove aesthetics of Helmet and Pantera. The band themselves were wanting to release it under a different name, but Century Media wanted them to keep the Demolition Hammer name and refused to issue it under another name. This will surely disappoint if you loved the previous two albums, but if you don't mind some groove, it's an okay listen.



While this compilation may be an ultimate re-release of the Demolition Hammer full-lengths, it has its flaws as well. Disc 1 ends around the middle of "Epidemic of Violence", and in order to keep listening to the album, Disc 2 needs to be popped in to complete listening to it. Another thing is that if you already have the previous three albums, I wouldn't buy this because there are only two bonus tracks, which are pre-production demos from the "Time Bomb" era. It would have been better if they at least included the 1988 "Skull Fracturing Nightmare" demo instead.



Otherwise, if you're new to this band, I recommend picking this up if you're looking for 3 full-lengths at the price of an average full-length."