BLOODY HAMMERS Under Satan's Sun (2014) CD

There's a particular strain of heavy rock that smells like candle wax and sounds like it was recorded in a church that burned down decades ago. Bloody Hammers live there permanently, and Under Satan's Sun is their most focused dispatch from that dimension.

The North Carolina duo, Anders Manga and Devallia, build songs from the same raw materials as early Black Sabbath and vintage occult horror, but the result never feels like cosplay. This record has genuine weight. The doom riffs sit low and patient, the vocals carry actual menace, and there's a psychedelic undertow that pulls you somewhere you didn't expect to end up. If you've been waiting for hard rock that takes the dark aesthetic seriously without winking at you, this is the one. It fits neatly alongside the doomier end of the gothic and alternative scene that ALT CVLT was built for.

CD, standard jewel case, 2014 Napalm Records release.

Fans of: Lucifer, Grand Magus, Spiritual Beggars, Brimstone Coven, Electric Wizard