Album review: Hammer – Trapped

There’s a satisfying bluntness to Penicuik quintet Hammer, from their name on down. This second album may be self-released, but the aggression on display throughout Trapped suggests their moniker is less about DIY than sheer bloody violence – although song titles like Trapped In A House With A Maniac or Golem might also suggest an affinity with the classic British horror studio of the same name.

Not that they have any time for opening credits, mind. Opener Mea Culpa hurls the listener into the deep end from the off, so immediate in its bludgeon that it’s like you’ve come in half way through the tune. Newish vocalist James Andrews switches compellingly between guttural grunts and blackened shrieks, while his instrument-wielding mates fold hardcore groove and grind attack into the death metal mix. This could come across as a band trying a grab-bag of styles to see what sticks, but Hammer deliver their blows with pummelling purpose and undeniable energy.

There’s even catchiness to be found amidst the chaos, in the melodeath riffing of Basilisk or Gorehound’s breakneck momentum, while Trapped closes with the lengthier, doom-inflected Alive, a song about someone finding themselves crawling through a mass grave. From Norse mythology to AI, Hammer pursue a range of lyrical themes, always managing to draw out the darkest or most visceral conclusions.

After releasing their self-titled debut on the literal eve of lockdown, then dealing with the departure of original vocalist Matt Liddiard a couple of years later, Trapped feels very much like a new beginning for Hammer. This time round, they’ve definitely hit the nail on the head.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: The Black Dahlia Murder, Burner, Pig Destroyer

Trapped is self-released on August 1