Company: Napalm Records Release: 2014 Genre: Doom Reviewer: Eric Compton
Arcane symbols and strange tales
The cabalistic shenanigans continue for Charlotte's purveyors of swanky doom with "Under Satan's Sun". Much like the band's previous outing, "Spiritual Relics" (2013), vocalist Anders Manga is oracular from his pulpit as he dabbles in 70s mysticism and pop culture. Opener "The Town That Dreaded Sundown", based on the 1946 phantom murders and documenting film of the same name, prances eerily around Alice Cooper and Blue Oyster Cult. The band's writing style is similar to John Shirley's contributions for Blue Oyster Cult (i.e. "Harvest Moon"). That same creepy melody and storytelling permeates "Death Do Us Part" and "Welcome to the Horror Show", both delivered with grunge-thick string buzz. It isn't as foggy on more up-tempo cuts like "Dead Man's Shadow on a Wall", "The Necromancer" and "Spearhead". Although still dressed for the part, these tracks represent a more empirical approach of chugging, heavily distorted guitar. "The Last Alarm" is the most exploratory, like a strange marriage of Christian Death and White Zombie. With their medieval devices, arcane symbols and strange tales, Bloody Hammers could be the most compelling band in America.
