Norway's Deathhammer have been worshipping at the altar of Satan since 2006 with their brand of retro Speed Metal and though they've been around almost 10 years, their third album Evil Power is my first experience hearing them. The album is lousy with blazing speed, squealing solos and vocals that range between bile-filled shouts and hellish screams. This is the stuff I hated back in the 80s but have learned to love in recent times. The loose but energetic playing and gleefully evil lyrics embody a time when pushing the boundaries of what was considered "acceptable" meant filling your songs and images with the devil and upside-down crosses. Want your neighbors to move? Put Evil Power on at 3am every night for a week and turn it up to 11. Deathhammer isn't doing anything original but fans of early Venom, Slayer and Possessed will certainly enjoy Evil Power. I know I do.
