{"id":231008,"date":"2026-02-17T13:09:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T12:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/?p=231008"},"modified":"2026-02-17T13:09:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T12:09:48","slug":"cattle-hammer-dark-thoughts-with-lights-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/cattle-hammer-dark-thoughts-with-lights-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Cattle Hammer – Dark Thoughts with Lights Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" English is fairly adequate for basic communication, but it falls short for niche communities. In the same way that skiers repurpose \u201cpowder\u201d or \u201ccarve\u201d and gamers repurpose \u201cown\u201d or \u201csweaty,\u201d metal fans break and contort language to suit our needs. We talk about \u201cfilthy\u201d guitar tones and \u201crazor sharp\u201d riffs, discuss \u201ccavernous\u201d production and \u201csuffocating\u201d weight, and use violent imagery\u2014bleeding ears, caved in skulls\u2014to denote quality. So when I read phrases like \u201cslow, painful march,\u201d \u201csoporific1<\/a><\/sup> dirge,\u201d and \u201cempty decades between chords\u201d on the promo sheet for debut Dark Thoughts with Lights Out<\/em>, I thought Cattle Hammer<\/strong> was just employing a little dialectical variance, speaking the lingo. Joke\u2019s on me, though. They weren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Based in Birmingham, UK, Cattle Hammer<\/strong> was formed by vocalist\/guitarist Duncan Wilkins (Fukpig<\/strong>, Mistress<\/strong>) in 2023. He\u2019s joined by I Cartwright on drums, J Wyles on guitar, and D Von Donovan on bass. Together, they mix a caustic brew of drone, doom, and sludge, but each track on Dark Thoughts with Lights Out<\/em> has its own identity. \u201cGloomsower\u201d leans stony, and Wilkins oscillates between deep roars and strangled croaks reminiscent of Weedeater<\/strong><\/a>. \u201cRotting\u201d features short tremolos, although they don\u2019t do much besides check the \u201cblackened\u201d box on the PR sheet. The ambient, noise-tinged intro to \u201cWatchmen, Alone\u201d caught my attention, but repetition of the vocal sample stunts its ability to build tension. Similarly, “Body Puzzle\u201d ends on some interesting synths, but it\u2019s a tough sell so late in the album. If you can\u2019t tell, I\u2019m really reaching for positives here, but there\u2019s not a one that isn\u2019t ultimately a disappointment.<\/p>\n