Album
Type: EP
Date
Released: 7/4/2015
Label:
Grimoire Records
/Australopithecus Records
‘Foehammer’
CD/CS/DD/Vinyl track listing
1). Final Grail
2). Stormcrow
3). Jotnar
Foehammer
is
Joe Cox | guitar
Jay Cardinell | bass, vocals
Ben Blanton | drums
Review:
Have
they taken their name from the beastly Conan track on Blood Eagle?! If they
have... it's appropriate. If not, it is descriptive regardless. This is heavy.
HEAVY. It is funeral doom, I guess, with lower than low death growl vocals. ‘Final
Grail’ sets the scene and things do not let up or change from the off. Tuned
very low, playing very slow, this Virginian mob know how to shake the
foundations of any stereo system. Over the course of three tracks, you get 34
minutes of music- and some changes in dynamics and atmosphere here and there
too. Ultimately the playing is great and the sound is one of depth and clarity.
‘Stormcrow’ (any titles which might even
hint at referencing the mighty Gates of Slumber is fine with me) opens with the
amps feeding back and then a familiarly weighty riff of slow and creepy
insistence. At over 10 minutes long, the track is in no hurry to get anywhere
fast, so the build up lasts as long as many grindcore EPs do.
‘Jotnar’ clocks in close to 15 minutes and delivers...
crushingly slow doom which takes no prisoners (a theme is emerging!) over the
course of its playing time. It's primitive, weighty and very effective. If you
like Conan or even Hooded Menace, then this is a must. For all you cheapskates
out there thinking that you would just download the demo of 2014 instead; this
is far superior in sound and execution- and you get ‘Jotnar’ as well. The artwork is also cool, so what are
you waiting for? This is good stuff and will no doubt set the band up for bigger
things to come.
Words by: Richard Maw
For more
information:
