Bloody Hammers have injected a wide range of new ideas into an iron clad sound of their own.

North Carolina front-man Anders Magna has managed to release four albums in four years, each diving deeper into darker musical waters. The previous release 'Under Satan's Sun' scored high with me, as it was a creative take on the Doom genre, with strong emphasis on song-writing and thus creating a musical atmosphere to accompany each song. The Type O Negative influences are still here, though now the band touch on moments of John Carpenter's soundtrack work.

Things begin in sombre mood with 'Bloodletting On The Kiss'. The vocals are a deep whisper in the distance, then suddenly coming alive in fits of rage and discontent. The use of the Moog synthesiser has added wonderful layers to each song, and where 'Lights Come Alive' dances with the darkness, the feel goes from hopeful to desperate in seconds – the influence of The Sisters Of Mercy is soaked into this song. 'Shadow Out Of Time' digs deep into its discontent, so much so it becomes a musical epitaph.

If you remember the classic synthesiser score from Carpenter's 'Assault On Precinct 13', then that is where a familiar template for 'The Reaper Comes' is apparent; the music creeps along seductively... waiting to pounce. All is not doom and gloom though. 'Messalina', with its throbbing bass line, will have you twirling around in a Gothic fantasy of danceable grooves. The guitars hit hard and dirty during 'Infinite Gaze To The Sun' and 'Ether'; both grinding out super-charged Stoner riffs that add consistency and quality to this release.

With 'Lovely Sort Of Death' Bloody Hammers have injected a wide range of new ideas into an iron clad sound of their own.

Ray Paul