Hammer Horde
Feds to the Wolves
Brock Bickelhaupt – Vocals
Derik Smith – Guitars/Vocals
Jayson Cessna – Drums
Ryan Mininger – Guitars
Jason Reynolds – Bass
Storm Surge Records
Pagan Metal / Melodic Death Metal
- Starborn
The song begins with a foreboding tone lingering for about ten seconds and then some melodic sounds start playing from the guitars and the percussion adding a dramatic feel to the song. This little intro plays out for just about a full minute, then they unleash upon you some serious speed, and blackened melodic metal. The blast beats and the guitars are tight, I am really enjoying the vocals as they come in. This is a solid track to start and album with. The even throw some falsetto vocals in the mix also which is a pleasant surprise. This is lie taking several different styles of metal and putting them into a centrifuge and pulling out only specific elements and utilizing them precisely. This is a six and a quarter minute long song filled with stellar guitar playing, solid drumming, and the vocals both main, and backing really pull it off.
- Tale Of The Wayward Voyager
This song starts out with fast guitars and drums right away with a melodic guitar riff being played over a driving rhythm guitar. This has a solid groove right out of the gate and this song you can really get into easily. It’s too early to call this a favorite, but it has all the makings of the album favorite. I hate to say it, but listening to this song, is like listening to what it would sound like if Cradle of Filth was actually good still. These guys are delivering that symphonic / melodic blackened metal without the theatrics. This is such a good song, they even know when to play a simple and melodic guitar solo.
- Fed to the Wolves
The title track begins with some ominous sounds fading in and then the drums and guitars start in. The drums play a marching style cadence for a few bars and then the entire band joins in with a slower but really rock solid metal sound. I really like the section at the 1:45 mark, there is something about it that fits just right. I really dig the harmonizing guitars, the song as a whole has a tempo of around 110 BPM and is about 6:21 minutes in length every section is enjoyable for fans of heavy melodic metal.
- Unholy Harbingers Of War
A cool melodic guitar solo with some echo starts the song off luring you into a sense of a slower, calm and collected atmosphere. The drums roll right into a much faster tempo, delivering a whirlwind of guitars and blast beats, the vocals are great especially during the chorus sections when the darker lower vocals have a line, and then the backing vocals do clean gang vocals. This is very much a battle anthem, right around the 3:00 mark you will know what I am talking about. These guys do not let up on this one, this is a song that marches along and doesn’t not falter, or lose any of its momentum. Around the 4:20 section we get a great guitar solo, some serious shredding is happening here. This is an all-around rock solid song.
- Hail and Kill
This has a mysterious beginning, it goes from guitars and drums playing only on certain notes for accent. Then clean vocals singing with acoustic guitars playing a very melodic for the first 1:22 minutes of the song. Then the band comes in hard and fast with an explosion, blending clean and heavy vocals at times and trading off bars for other times. This is a very anthem sounding song, even going back to the blistering fast moments filled with blast beats and low growling vocals. This song is very enjoyable, with a great guitar solo, these guys are having fun, and playing a great metal tune. They do a great job with this Manowar cover, because of this cover, I could honestly see them pulling off other Manowar covers perfectly.
- Ortum Aurorae
For the first five seconds you can’t hear much except for an ominous tone, and then more and more the melodic key boards and orchestral sounding percussion and instruments fade in. The chugging guitar riff that follows adds some dimension before a melodic guitar and piano segment. This is really just a cool 1:31 minute long instrumental track.
- The Scourge Of Man
Ortum basically fades right into this fast paced metal masterpiece here. This song, sounds absolutely bad ass in the first thirty seconds played. This song has an insatiable rhythm and the groove is great, you will involuntarily fall into by head banging at the moment the first note plays through your headphones or speakers. This is my favorite song off of this album. The song really keeps you amped up until the very end where it slowly brings you down with the sound of a piano playing.
- As Embers Fade
Heavy guitar distortion and pounding drums being played in a way where certain notes are really being accented be it on the toms and bass and then the cymbals. This is like an instrumental track where it’s almost like a victory march in the way it sounds. This is not just an instrumental track to get you to enjoy the sounds of the instruments without vocals and lyrics. This is almost meant to give you a sense of satisfaction that you leave the battlefield alive and well being victorious in your conquests.
This was a great album, I had never heard this band before so I was really unsure of what I was getting into. They just gained a fan that’s for sure, they play some really fast, and infectious blackened melodic metal. This album really surprised me, I was expecting something along the lines of a Viking/folk metal sound, and that is not what came out of my speakers when I put the CD in. This album is easily rated at a 9/10 as every instrument, every moment is great its enjoyable, and powerful. I guarantee that popping this album in for a listen will blow your expectations away.
Check out the Hammer Horde Website
Check out Hammer Horde on Twitter
To download a digital copy or order a physical copy click here
Check Hammer Horde out on FACEBOOK
-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com
The Metal Breakdown 