Demolition Hammer

Invictus – Nocturnal Visions Review

By Kenstrosity on January 26, 2026 in Reviews, Death Metal, 79 comments

“Five years ago, I highlighted Invictus’ 2020 debut LP Catacombs of Fear as part of our year-end death metal roundup feature. Since then, the Japanese death metal trio toiled under the ground with a brutal live schedule and steadily wrote what might very well be my most highly anticipated follow-up in the death metal realm. Hot on the heels of killer releases from personal favorites like Depravity, and jumping just ahead of another highly anticipated salvo from Eximperitus, Invictus’ upcoming Nocturnal Visions has big shoes to fill and stiff competition to combat.” Captaining the soul.

Deathraiser – Forged in Hatred Review

By Holdeneye on January 20, 2026 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 67 comments

“When considering what Brazil is best known for, people often throw out things like the Amazon rainforest, round-ball football, coffee, beef, and that really tall statue of the Christmas Superstar, but you and I both know that Brazil is primarily known for thrash metal. Seeking to add to that legacy, Deathraiser is raising themselves from the dead by releasing sophomore album Forged in Hatred a mere 15 years after their debut.” Hate can’t be built in a day.

Vindicator – Whispers of Death Review

By Steel Druhm on August 20, 2025 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 16 comments

“New thrash doesn’t hit my ears as much as it used to, and more than any other metal genre, it seems the hardest to effectively recreate outside of its original boom era (1983-1990). There were shining moments in the Great Rethrash Movement that kicked off in 2000, and sure, the Big Dawgs have managed to drop surprisingly spry platters here and there. We know thrash can still deliver a WOW factor when executed at a high level, and even when it falls short and doesn’t blow your doors off, it can still be a good rowdy time. That brings us to Ohio Sons Vindicator.” Revenge of the fast.

Oxygen Destroyer – Guardian of the Universe Review

By Holdeneye on August 7, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 80 comments

“Nearly three years ago, I dropped a Very Good score on Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind, the sophomore record from Seattle’s Kaiju-themed death/thrash purveyors, Oxygen Destroyer. The earnestness with which band leader Lord Kaiju and his party of massive-monster minstrels weave their tales of gargantuan creatures into their furious metal through the use of film samples and sound effects lends their no-nonsense music a certain nerdtastic charm, and that album earned an Honorable Mention spot on my 2021 year-end list.” Big monsters!

Morbid Saint – Swallowed by Hell Review

By Steel Druhm on February 9, 2024 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 66 comments

“Once upon a time, there was a little-known thrash act out of Wisconsin called Morbid Saint. They were nasty, savage, and uncompromising. They also had trouble getting attention from labels or recording a proper album. Instead of a finished studio product, they released their 1988 demo titled Spectrums of Death in 1990. It might not have been a polished recording, but it showcased their unrelenting aggression and warmongering fury. It went on to become an underground darling and its stature has grown over time. They attempted a follow-up outing in 1991-92 but once again never made it past the demo stage. That demo wasn’t made public until 2015, and by then it was little but a historical footnote. This record of frustrated ambitions is why it was a shock to see a promo from Morbid Saint in the crust muck of the sump.” Full Spectrum assault.

Sovereign – Altered Realities Review

By Steel Druhm on January 19, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 65 comments

“From the chilly fjords of Norway comes the full-length debut by retro prog-death-thrashers, Sovereign. Formed by members of black and thrash acts like Nocturnal Breed and The Konsortium, Altered Realities is prime Death worship mixed with a generous topping of Possessed, Sadus and Demolition Hammer granola. It’s technical as Hell, proggy enough to be unusual, and has the requisite amount of thrashery to kick some teeth loose. If pressed to explain the album’s sound in an elevator pitch, I would say it sounds like the album Death could have recorded between Spiritual Healing and Human.” Altering the future again?

The Bleeding – Monokrator Review

By Saunders on June 15, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 19 comments

“Unfamiliar with their first couple of albums, it doesn’t take long to become acquainted with The Bleeding’s gnarly formula. If you guessed Cannibal Corpse worship, you guessed wrong. Instead, The Bleeding channel ripping death-thrash with a mean blackened edge.” Blood for the Blood God!

Raider – Trial by Chaos Review

By Maddog on April 11, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 91 comments

“After producing one of 2022’s greatest pieces of album art, Mitchell Nolte is back with a vengeance. The fantasy scene that graces Raider’s Trial by Chaos depicts a lone warrior battling a sea of dragons, snakes, and cephalopods attacking from every direction. Violent, claustrophobic, and extravagant, it’s a perfect match for the music. Canada’s Raider specializes in an explosive brand of death-thrash that keeps the dial turned to 11 at all times.” The April wind is a Raider.

Trastorned – Into the Void Review

By Dr. Wvrm on January 27, 2023 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 36 comments

“Wheat dies fast; chaff lives on forever. What that means for thrash, I don’t know, because that genre will relive the good ole days until the barn burns down. I also don’t know what that means for Trastorned. The Chilean quartet have spent 15 years working out the perfect homage to the genre with their debut, Into the Void. It’s mean. It’s fast. It sounds exactly how you want it to sound. But those three points mean little these days, and it will take so much more for these thrashers to survive the thresher.” Harvest tunes.

Detherous – Unrelenting Malevolence Review

By Holdeneye on November 29, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 52 comments

“Not much has changed for Detherous on the style front. Last time I referenced the early thrash of Kreator and the early death of…Death, but the most fitting returning comparison belongs to Demolition Hammer. As if the increased groove profile of Unrelenting Malevolence wasn’t enough to convince you that Detherous worships Demoliton Hammer’s Epidemic of Violence, the band has even included a cover of that album’s incredible opener.” Unrelenting hammer smashed facing.