Irregular, shifting patterns form the crux of the approach to music on power trio Hammerhedd‘s latest. You can feel the brotherly bond within the absurdly tight musicianship of the Ismert brothers, out to continue to earn their place and prove they aren’t a novelty act. Nonetheless, Nonetheless (Self-Released) works more as a toll road/interstate “keep me awake driving” or chops workout album, than as something you are likely to connect strongly with on an emotional level.
The Kansas City band are at their best when they manage to calm down enough to let a part settle in for more than a moment, which is not often. The simple and protracted melodic and ambient intro to ‘Fruition’, followed by a Chevelle-esque chuggy tension build up, works better than a lot of the blink and you miss it leaps and bounds elsewhere. Very similar techniques and arrangement flow applied to ‘Synthesis Pt.1’ sort of neutralize the payoffs, though.
‘Down The Hall and To Your Left’ sounds like Mogwai playing in a hospital as you mourn a loved one, but it only lasts for a minute. The weird atmospheric interludes are often more intriguing than the coiled tight wood choppy robotic workman-like riffage and percussion that never reaches a real sense of frenzy and abandon.
Dillinger Escape Plan or Car Bomb, for example, might have gained fame for erratic tunes yet there was still a lot more songcraft, over-the-top emotional and physical connection, and maturity to the output. While you want to root for Hammerhedd and can palpably sense their stokedness, more often than not you are distracted as a listener thinking it would be a lot more interesting to watch the band live and get a secondhand high off their enthusiasm and the interplay between the brothers. It is certainly impressive they can remember all of these arrangements and patterns.
It is apparent vocals received the least focused, sort of utilized as random accents trying to sound tough amidst odd sections. It comes off like Page Hamilton had a baby brother trying to grow some chin hairs. Frankly, despite a few cool lyrics here and there the band works far better instrumentally. The intro to ‘Tunnel’ shuffles and stutters along with a Metallica meets Don Caballero charm, but it never meets the insanity of Lightning Bolt and there is a distracting feeling of “look what I just did” to it all.
Hammerhedd remind me of a super tight high school band, which some of them frankly are. While I applaud a band trying to develop serious musicianship, it feels more than not like a bunch of parts strung together. While I like the dangerous unknown implied by the pulpy cover art, I never felt really like something super unpredictable was about to happen, despite the band’s many attempts to jump through as many hoops as possible to sell that idea. I’d rather listen to ‘Boris’ by the Melvins than Danny Carey any day of the week, so maybe I am biased.
Honestly, I’m not completely sure why it inspired such a disconnect in me, as the band can play their asses off. Too often though it just felt like a workout under a stylistic banner rather than a collection with more to say.
Buy the album here:
6 / 10
MORGAN Y. EVANS