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Metal Maniacs Reviews Fields/Church of Broken Glass
What qualities define a truly great band? Proficiency, of course; technical acumen, originality, a vision - these are sufficient, while heart, soul and depth are absolutely necessary. But there's something else; some magic unknown that makes a band meaningful to its listeners. Whatever that thing is, Hammers of Misfortune has it - a nearly painful beauty, like first love, a radiant sunset, good fortune descending from nowhere.
The San Francisco-based group has undergone some major lineup changes since The Locust Years, most notably the replacement of longstanding Hammers male voice Mike Scalzi with Patrick Goodwin, plus the addition of Jesse Quatro's female vocals and a new bassist, Ron Nichols. Yet if anything, mastermind John Cobbett's compositional gifts have flourished in this fresh mix, bringing to life his dream of an epic double album, two vinyl discs packaged together.
And what a treat this is, reminiscent of those glory days in the '70s when ambitious ventures from bands like Genesis rewarded the faithful with an overload of ideas and sensations, albums simply too rich and interesting and complex to play just once, or even 10 times. Hammers Of Misfortune combine gorgeous vocal harmonies recalling folk-based classic rock - the Mammas And The Pappas, Jefferson Airplane, the Byrds - with sinuous, complex Opeth worthy arrangements and keyboard pomp Keith Emerson would the proud of. The Hammers are simply the finest unknown rock/metal/folk/Renaissance band working today, and like any lover, I'm jealous of sharing them. But I must.
-Alex S. Johnson
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