Damnation’s Hammer – Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres

A phrase I’ve used once before and certainly applies to Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres by Damnation’s Hammer is “Riff after riff after motherfucking riff!”. The power they create is breathtaking, bringing to mind a fusion of Paradise Lost and Burn My Eyes era Machine Head, will be released via Massacre Records on Feb.22nd 2019 and an official album launch party will be held at the Napier in Blackburn the following day.

The album hits hard from the off as the majestically powerful main riff of ‘Temple Of The Descending Gods’ is of wrecking ball heaviness. The ongoing rhythms swirl like a whirlpool of doom metal as it lumbers to a grinding finish. ‘Deathcraft’ attacks like vintage Entombed. A pulverizing drum assault from Gary Bevan backs up a barrage of riffing from guitarists Tim Preston, Ady Farnell and bassist Jamie Fowler. A slight change of pace midway leads to headbanging riffs as a caustic lead solo rips in. The gently picked guitar intro of ‘Unseen’ is soon crushed by monolithic riffs again and just as it surely cannot get any heavier, double bass drums put the needle in the red. ‘Hammers Of War’ played through headphones is like a cloak of doom in your ears. A metronomic pound that threatens to break its leash does so when the solo kicks in and Godzilla rhythm stomps play the song out. Almost punk rock riffing drive ‘Wolves Of Aquarius’ through a twisting, churning piece over the melodic barked vocal from Tim as it fades out to an ambient calm.

Somehow, the standard of riffing gets even more intense as the guitars create an unstoppable force during ‘Haunting The Abyss’ with yet another furious drum assault. A calm before the storm intro and tolling bell like riff to ‘Gates Of The Necronomicon’ precedes a huge main riff backed by ever increasing speed drumming. An eerie spoken word midsection elevates to a headbanging outro of no frills heavy metal. ‘The Eternal Harvest’ is almost power metal in its technicality mixed with a Slayer like speed metal midsection as a jaw dropping outro of riffing mesmerizes. The brief instrumental ‘The Hex III’ precedes the final track and my personal favourite ‘Entrance To The Final Chamber’. It’s a seven minute beast of a number of gargantuan doom that reaches new highs as the riffs forge along as Gary smashes whatever is left of his drumkit. Speaker to speaker guitar lines midway lower the pace as the outro steamrollers to a hypnotic riffed end.

Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres album track listing :-

Temple Of The Descending Gods.

Deathcraft.

Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres.

Hammers Of War.

Wolves Of Aquarius.

Haunting The Abyss.

Gates Of The Necronomicon.

The Eternal Harvest.

The Hex III (instrumental).

Entrance To The Final Chamber.

Damnation’s Hammer band line up :-

Tim Preston – Vocals/guitar.

Ady Farnell – Lead guitar.

Jamie Fowler – Bass guitar.

Gary Bevan – Drums.