Demolition Hammer

Demolition Hammer’s 1989 demo Necrology is a violent and intense dose of late ’80s thrash metal. The songwriting is solid and memorable while the musicianship very tight. It is clear that the band had already found its identity by this point. It kind of feels like death/thrash at times, thanks to the sinister vocals, drumming and some of the riffs, but this is still more firmly rooted in thrash. All of these songs were re-recorded for their debut L.P. the following year, but the sterile Morrisound production drained the energy from them. Not only does the mix on this demo suit the material much more, but it also sounds like the band plays with more ferocity and a sense of urgency that makes things feel more lethal. That combination makes everything stand out a lot more than on Tortured Existence. Here, the riffs and solos aren't buried in a wall of sound, they actually have room to breathe and feel much more vibrant. This music is definitely on the heavier and more vicious side of thrash, owing a bit to Slayer, Dark Angel, and Sadus, and it showed the style still had some life left in it while so many bands were starting to wimp out by the end of the ’80s. If you haven’t heard Necrology, give it a listen. This is the best thing Demolition Hammer ever released. Highlights include "Crippling Velocity" and "Hydrophobia".

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