Lucifers Hammer
The Mists of Time ()
Wydane przez Destro RecordsRok wydania Kraj USANapisał Kunal Choksi8
Lucifers Hammer is so underrated. It’s hard to believe that the band formed in 1986. After releasing some obscure demos around that time, it was only in 1997 that the band released a full length album. Thanks to Destro Records, this release has been reissued with the excellent "The Burning Church" demo as bonus. The good thing about this Black/Death Metal music from US is that it comes naturally to the band – the feeling is there, the substance and also, most importantly, the atmosphere. Without that it’s not special. But "The Mists of Time" certifiably is. It has even stood the test of time.
This music reeks of intent, something malicious, something nasty, something spicy. It reminds me of the time when I got into Black Metal – there was so much mystery and suspense around it. More than the music, I was told, it’s the atmosphere which makes it different from Death Metal. It’s something with extra sensory appeal. Lucifers Hammer is playing music like that. Reminiscent of Mortuary Drape, Opera IX ("Sacro Culto") and Mystifier, among others, mostly South American ones, Lucifers Hammer is playing what sounds like old school Black/Thrash/Death Metal with added atmosphere. There’s this bestial feel to the music before even that term was established I think. The vocals are hoarse, vicious and wide, comparable to the vocals on the early Incantation albums. There’s always this dread looming in the air, punctuated by tasteful playing of keyboards. It’s an all-rounded album coming to think of it – it’s got those evil riffs, demonic vocals and haunting atmosphere. It’s something that newer bands have been struggling to create. This band does it effortlessly. The demo is something even more primitive and nasty. It’s hard to believe that this level of malice can be produced. It’s comparable only to the Blasphemy material around that time – few others come close. Everything else came much later, especially the so-called bestial Death/Black Metal stuff. This demo doesn’t rely much on atmosphere but it has that savage grace.
I can’t stop coming back to this album because there’s just so much to absorb. It takes a while for so much to be appreciated and in the right spirit. Each time I’m astonished because it has so much depth and haunting appeal. Because of the lack of recognition probably, the band broke up, but now that this music has been brought back to life, it deserves wider appeal and it’d be a shame if such music doesn’t get appreciated – since it puts most of the pretentious bands of today to shame.
www.destrorecords.com; www.destrorecords.bandcamp.com
