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"Hammer of the Witch" is the sixth full length studio album by the American metallic hardcore band Ringworm. The album was released March 18th, 2014 on Relapse Records, their first studio album for the label.
The album charted at No. 14 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart and No. 21 on the Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart.
User Album Review
Like other NYHC influenced groups, Ringworm place emphasis on the breakdown. “One of Us Is Going to Die” in particular will make you visualize a battle scene at This is Hardcore or Chaos in Tejas, limbs flying without actually being torn off. “Leave Your Skin at the Door” has a breakdown that is a bit doomier, but no less ripe for mayhem. You can see where Power Trip got some of their cues from. While Ringworm have remained steady over the years, their one true constant is vocalist James “Human Furnace” Bulloch, the group's sole original member. Even given the group's break in the late 90s, it's astonishing he's held on his voice this long. Most new jack Southern Lord hardcore dudes try to sound mad; Bulloch actually is pissed. You can hear him spit at the end of “We'll Always Have The End", a small bit of personality on the record.
Witch is a solid record throughout, but it is one of those records that feels like a collection of songs—good songs!—rather than an actual album. It doesn't have an appropriate bookend, an appropriate closing. The record just kind of... stops. However, that might not matter when you're practicing freelance dentistry with a stage and a floor at a Ringworm show.
Reviewed by Andy O'Connor for pitchfork.com.
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