Those of you (from among the 2 that read this) looking forward to a new full-length Gallhammer will have to sit on it. It's not ready yet. This is a rarities compilation. You will, however, be treated to a pair of demos from the new one ("Speed of Blood" & "At the Onset of the Age of Despair"). I guess being from a forthcoming album makes them, uh...rare.
It takes a lot these days for me to get down with something that seems like such a ironipster put-on. You know, Japanese girls playing Hellhammer/Celtic Frost-ish...Hellhammer/Celtic Frost-ness while being all cute in that message board kind of way, and having cover art the Hot Topic and Hydrahead crews alike can dig. Seems more than a little contrived, I reckon. Plus how much Hellhammer do I need in my life? Not that I don't love them, they're just okay on their own. Same with CF. Would you rather listen to legit Finnish thrashy lords, or young Japanese girls posing as Finnish thrashy lords? Does it need to be a joke to be entertaining?
Needless to say, overcoming that hump was difficult. And, to be honest, I'm not sure I finally did. For what it is, this is really well done. And considering we're talking demos, rehearsals and the like, the fidelity is surprisingly full. I'd say better than Gloomy Lights, even! But everything else to be said about it is one paragraph up. It sounds like what it is, which will either bowl you over with its clever fangirl-ism or remind you of something you'd rather hear. I think that's the only true statement that can be made about Gallhammer: they are exactly the sum of themselves and their influences. Everything else is snarky icing.
You might not want this.
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