Wolvhammer - EP's
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| Photo by DeGross Punk Photography Text by Cosmo Lee |
PR is not something most nascent bands worry about. Their first concerns are usually stable lineups, local shows, and maybe a demo or two. But right out of the box Wolvhammer got called “racists,” which led to the requisite Internet damage control.
The issue was this: the Minneapolis band’s logo (see kick drum above) resembles that of the Hammerskins, a white power organization whose logo evidently comes from the fictional neo-Nazi group in Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Phil Freeman called them out on this here. They rebutted the allegations, which led to Freeman’s retraction here. For all involved, this was an unnecessary mess.
Now that the issue is settled — “working class,” not “racist” — the focus can return to music. It’s good: blackened, sludgy punk. Celtic Frost, Darkthrone, and Eyehategod are certainly influences.
Two things stand out. The songs are memorable, with measured pacing that highlights actual riffs. The vocals are like rusty blades. This stuff is usually disposable — the world does not need another 7″ petroleum product — but Wolvhammer have that certain something that staying power requires.
You can download their two demos for free here. The second, Dawn of the 4th, is essentially a reworking of the first. I’m not the type to fetishize demos, but I hear some raw power here.
