Following on from the wonderfully sinister, synth-laden Gothic overtures of last year’s Lovely Sort of Death, husband and wife outfit from North Carolina Bloody Hammers are back with The Horrific Case of Bloody Hammers (both Napalm) – a six-track EP with a delightfully kitsch 70’s B-list horror film-inspired artwork.

It continues the path laid down by LSD; taut metal with a gloomy, sinister atmosphere. The fuzzy guitars kick in immediately on the sludgy, four to the floor ‘Gates of Hell’ – awash with occult and devilish reference. The same thing goes for the fuzz-filled Doom of ‘Blood’, with a remarkably crisp backbone of drums and bass. The clean and crisp sound of these runs through the whole EP, and counterbalances the huge, distorted guitar quite nicely. ‘Vultures Circle Overland’ is another such moment; a heavy number with a sprightly cut and thrust to it, underpinned by a moreish rolling drum beat.

Like previous record LSD, Devallia’s synthesizer take centre stage at times; the main point of the mid-paced, melancholic and rather lumbering ‘The Beyond’. Things coming to a close with ‘The Bloodsucker Leads the Dance’, the minimalism and sense of space of which gives the melody and dark aura room to breathe. These weighty pieces offer nice respite from the Doom filled metal but thankfully they do not dominate proceedings.

The Horrific Case of Bloody Hammers is a great EP of taut heavy metal and the same wonderfully sinister, horror film vibe of their previous album.

7.5/10

THOMAS THROWER