Hammer of Gods

I have a hard time picking favorites when it comes to Angel Corpse albums, but this one may be it. Hammer Of Gods was their debut from 1996, and a messier, angrier, more vicious Death Metal album is hard to imagine.

I've said before that Angel Corpse were basically Morbid Angel imitators, and I don't think anyone would really argue with that, except that after Altars Of Madness MA never sounded this pissed off. People who talk shit about Angel Corpse often criticize the low-fi production and the sometimes sloppy musicianship, but those are the qualities that make this band great. In an age of overproduced, Pro-Tools mashed, clickety click Death Metal, the raw, live blast of Angel Corpse in full cry is like an evil, evil blessing. Blasting, evil riffs, pummeling drums, and those hateful, deadly vocals make this a headbanging festival of hate. I like this album the best of all because out of all AC albums it is the rawest, and also just a bit more evil.

Angel Corpse will never be accused of selling out – they are what they are, and nothing else. There are no clean vocals, no acoustic interludes, nothing to slow down the assault. Death Metal is about more than speed, more than growling, more than heavy. Death Metal is music that wants to kill, that makes you want to kill, and all the crystal-clear digital production can't create that vibe if the band doesn't have it. Angel Corpse always had it, and now they're back together, we'll see if they still do. Hammer Of Gods remains an overlooked classic of 90s Death Metal.