Sludgehammer may not be a name familiar to most out there and admittedly, not a name that will stick in too many brains for the most part but these guys are a force to be reckoned with. Their new album “Antechamber” was released just recently and to our own fault, we missed the release deadline to give this album a proper listen but it was worth the wait.
Coming in from the eastern Canadian city of Toronto, Sludgehammer‘s sound is probably best described as simply groove metal but with tinges of various influences that would be close to what bands like Revocation, Pantera and Mastodon do but with a little extreme force added in for good measure. It’s always a far more interesting listen when there are hybrid forms of inspiration coming through, a trait that is fast becoming normalized in today’s metal genre. With the internet and access to so much music, it’s hard not to be inspired by so many things that are out there and it also gives fans like us the chance to discover bands like Sludgehammer along with their latest work “Antechamber“.
Rather than spreading out back and forth in the tracklist, it was easier to go through the list of songs as they played out as the band’s core sound really develops as you go through each track starting with the opener and single “No Control“. At first you are led into what could be perceived as some sort of industrial infused groove metal but then the tempo changes into high gear and we see ourselves getting tangled into some pretty serious stuff. But the interesting thing here right off the bat is the soaring melodic vocals that are interjected over the chorus lines and which plays a significant part through out the album. Of course the meat of the song lies within the riffs and they are majestic, the tones are perfect and the hooks are undeniably addictive.
“Broken Sea” sits in chugg riffage country, a real foot stomper of a song that again combines those insatiable vocal growls with catchy melodies. The songs themselves are not necessarily melodic if that makes sense but the riffs and vocals combined give that sort of memorable key to latch onto in much the same way melodies do. “Climatic Death” continues that sound with downtuned sounding riffs giving it a lot of bottom heavy chuggs, there’s even a scorching guitar solo which at this point had almost completely been forgotten given the aforementioned aspects driving the music.
It’s here with “Forsaken Souls” that we really beginning to get an understanding of what Sludgehammer are all about. While more of the first three songs are found here which is not a complaint of course as it’s damn well ticking all the right boxes, but there is a signature to be found in the band which doesn’t necessarily reveal itself too obvious in bands all the time. Here I found myself locking into the band’s element as I get right into the swing of things and figuring out why this all works so well, and then of course the ending going into hyperdrive keeps you on your toes!
“Balance of Life” follows and starts out a little more differently with a melodic but energetic rocker moving back and forth from heavier territories. More of that gorgeous guitar tones seap through nicely here too but this one definitely has a stronger focus on the melodic side of things but ultimately still rocks out pretty hard. “The Long Road” brings some thrash metal into the game and much like Revocation, there’s a hard rock essence thrown into the mix too which works really well here. “Eternal Darkness” moves a little differently though with a bit more bounce and a southern metal flair to it while the longest track here, “Supernova Silhouette” has a bit more of a power classic metal feel to it while still managing to throw a few gem moments in there at the same time.
“Line ’em Up” closes things out in a fast paced hook, line and sinker kind of way, ending things perfectly to bring this cracker of an album to an end. When metal is as good as this, you just can’t help but be inspired and proud that this genre can still come up with truly magnificent pieces of music. It’s also further proof that the underground still produces better music than the mainstream, something I have longed believe for years.
9/10
TRACKLIST
No Control
Broken Sea
Climatic Death
Forsaken Souls
Balance of Life
The Long Road
Eternal Darkness
Supernova Silhouette
Line ’em Up
