0 From the Crates #1: Hammerhead - Into the Vortex

Every Thursday, Seattle Rock Guy's new contributor Metal Matt will be showcasing his knowledge of some amazing records which have more or less slipped through the cracks over the years. Here's how he explains the premise.

'From the Crates' is all about albums by overlooked and under-heard artists who never got their due, as well as older albums by bands you might have heard of that deserve a second listen. Any music fan will tell you there is only one kind of album worth talking about: the one that you put on whatever music listening apparatus you prefer, press play, and are taken to a different place altogether. The album you've listened to at least twice in a row, the album that is so good you almost can't believe it. This column will try to show you a few of those albums in all genres of music, space and time. And yes, there will be a high level of ass kickery." - Matt

Hammerhead – Into the Vortex
(Amphetamine Reptile – 1994)

If you had to summarize the evolution of rock music during the 1990’s in twenty words or less it would probably look like this: Nirvana and Pearl Jam got huge, glam rock died, and rock music got real serious and real good again. So no matter how overplayed it still is, we must thank our lucky stars that a whole slew of bands were getting inspired by ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and not ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’. Case in point is the mighty Hammerhead, both underrated and overlooked.

I first heard about this album several years ago in an anthology of ‘Burn Collector’, a zine from the 90’s written by a fellow named Al Burian which is well worth checking out. Anyhow, I filed it away in the noggin and didn’t think anything of it until I came across the album this summer and thought ‘why the hell not?’ It turned out to be the best kind of album: the album I unexpectedly can not stop listening to.

‘Into the Vortex’ is a battering ram of 90’s post-rock excellence that makes you a little nostalgic even though it has aged exceptionally well with it’s ass-kickery intact, unlike the many releases from the era. It’s textbook post-rock: not exactly metal, not exactly punk, atonal when it needs to be, heavy as hell and the singer is more like that PE teacher from Beavis and Butthead than a, well, singer.

The record consists of equal parts Black Flag and Helmet, and has the perfect balance of rock demolition and introspection. Where lots of records hit pot holes and faux paus of cheesiness, these guys were dead serious and they pulled it off. The guitars are savage, the bass is like a diesel powered chainsaw, and the drums keep everything right where it needs to be – including your head bobbing up and down making the ‘shit, this is sick made!’ face. You know the one.

For starters, check out album highlights ‘Swallow’ and ‘Empty Angel’, but if you have 45 minutes to kill and want to get amped as hell or just take it back to a time when The Strokes did not exist, crank this up!

Review by Metal Matt ~ @metalcobra