Hammers Of Misfortune
Fields/church Of Broken Glass
San Franciscos HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE, one of the most praised bands in the metal underground today, have truly tapped into something timeless, unique, and masterful since their inception in 2000. By taking traditional metal mixed with NWOBHM, classic and obscure prog, 70s rock, Broadway musical and theatrical are all elements found within Hammers wide musical spectrum. That has reflected on their three milestone releases; namely The Bastard, The August Engine, and The Locust Years respectively. And with the praise the aforementioned Hammers albums have gotten, and with another line-up shift/augmentation, Hammers Of Misfortune have altered their line-up again for the release of not one, but two new full-length albums to be presented in one package. It has always been an ambition of mastermind John Cobbett to do an epic double album of sorts, let alone two new distinct full-length albums, packaged as one. With one album entitled Church Of Broken Glass and the other album Fields, the intention with these new releases was a bit of an experiment. With the new characters in the Hammers Of Misfortune fold, both new albums see Hammers Of Misfortune take a new stride in their repertoire. More vintage-sounding, where the 70s influence and feel is much more prominent, more rock, and along with both new albums being more prog-oriented, both albums present some of the most challenging (musically and lyrically) Hammers material yet. Nonetheless, Church Of Broken Glass and Fields continue to prove that Hammers Of Misfortune are one of the most unique, genuine, distinct, and timeless acts in metal today.