Hammer Fight - Profound and Profane

Hammer Fight Profound and Profane cover
Hammer Fight
Profound and Profane
Napalm Records
2016
6
Hammer Fight are a NJ band that seems to be churning out a satisfyingly good brand of rhythmically charged metal for some time now with this being their sophomore album after their debut and a precursor EP.
 
They combine a bit of Motorhead dirtiness that’s however enveloped and ultimately lost by a plastic modern production; they try to sound like Exodus (maybe) but their singer bassist comes across like a slightly lamer J.Jasta meets Anselmo clone… you know the style… while there’s not something profoundly wrong with the band’s performances and there is the occasional interesting riff, I think the band is trapped like so many others by the “sub-genre” constrains...
 
After a couple of hard hitting that predictable opening songs like “Picking Up Change” and “Target Acquired” that seem to be too “hard-rockin” guitar wise, the more differentiated “Into the Dark” feels more “real”… without being bad most of the songs simply don’t stick enough despite some good riffs or leads, ie “The Ultimate Sacrifice”… I suppose the more temperate and instrumental “The Crate”, I didn’t mind that much, but I also couldn’t really understand it’s inclusion either, as it feel a little outta place on an album like this…
 
Without being bad, Hammer Fight are not great and I’m guessing the “hard rock” influences in their guitar playing keep them from sounding as modern and punishing as they would like to. Second rate modern day extreme and kinda groovy metal that shows some promise, but doesn’t really deliver the goods.