With a name like Hammer Fight, you’d be right to expect something rather brutal from this New Jersey four-piece, and, thankfully, you won’t be disappointed.
Their second full-length kicks off like an old-school UFC fight from back in the days when there were no rules about headbutts or repeatedly punching your opponent in the bollocks, and it’s pretty much unrelenting from then on.
Hammer Fight have been described as a cross between Motörhead, Slayer and beer, which isn’t too far from the truth, but in songs like Picking Up Change, Target Acquired and the thunderously brilliant Gods Of Rock N’ Roll, you’ll also find equal amounts of Venom, Entombed and early Metallica, all heavy chugging riffs with the pedal very much to the metal.
Make no mistake, it’s brutal. Even in so-called ballads like Low And Broken and The Crate there’s a rawness, like the band are only pausing to pick the broken glass out of their knuckles.
