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Artist: Hammers Of Misfortune |
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This band from San
Francisco mix a variety of genres including American folk music, thrash
and doom metal to come out with their unique and memorable prog metal
sound. This, their sixth album, again mixes these elements to
bring a near-Turisas feel to their music, although they have been around
longer. The album is strong and
well-threaded, although at times it can feel a little overwhelming.
The influence of folk music can be felt in the lyrics, which re
surprisingly light and ethereal in places, specifically the back lyrics,
backing up a strong male lead. The guitars are slightly heavy and
thrashy, but this can only be a good thing, and is definitely noticeable
on the title track, '17th Street'. This comes out as
slightly strange but followable, with strong guitar and haunting yet
solid piano work. The predominant focal
point for the album is the strong male lead vocals of Joe. Even if the
music around it changes, it always remains the same, a constant in the
steady shifting world of this album. Although he tries sometimes
to work out of his range, usually an attempt to go higher than he can,
he competently and cleanly sticks to what he knows best, anchoring the
ethereal in the real, even if it is only for one song. A favourite song at the moment is 'The Grain', a song with a steady beat like a horse galloping fast throughout, making this the main feature of this song, and it is only when the guitars fade out that the extremely talented pianist makes himself known, lending a grounding element to a steady song. Review by: Kerry H |
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Tracklisting:
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