The U.K. powerhouse of good old heavy metal-DAMNATION'S HAMMER, may be a band which are relatively new on the scene but their sound is anything but new. A dive into the influences of the past, taking the best parts and forging them into their own style.  It may not be a new form of music, but it certainly is played with enough passion to stand above releases of this generation. After a wise signing to Massacre Records in 2018, we are treated to their debut album once more-"Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres".  Originally self-released in 2017, this slice of damn-fine nostalgic pie has floated by word of mouth around the perimeters of metal, thankfully now seeing a wider audience and in turn getting wider acclaim.

Looking directly at the surface you may be mistaken for thinking this is progressive, epic metal, or some other label people use to describe a sound.  Regardless of a sub-genre there is two types of music, good or bad, and  "Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres" falls neatly into the very good genre.  It is a roaring monster spewing guitar-riffs into your face, grabbing you by the head and shaking you.  Two guitarists, a bass, a drums and the vocalists who wields one of those guitars, simple-straightforward and when done right like this is a deadly combination.

From the first crank of "Temple Of The Descending Gods", you instantly reassured that this is definitely not some dandy-prog that dances in the stratosphere.  Of the ten-tracks on offer with "Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres"-it is hard to find the weak points, the sound is a battalion of war-machines that are rolling aggressively from your speakers from start to finish.  Tracks such as "Gates Of The Necronomicon," and "The Eternal Harvest,"  are mind blowing, with a rich collage of riff and riff.  Same can be said for "Hammers Of War" and perhaps my favorite- "Entrance to the Final Chamber".

Faithfully, this is an album which can only be appreciated at full volume-maximum impact for maximum enjoyment.  There is something old school about that statement, though in this case it is an honest description of how "Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres".  My only quibble may be the long time spent getting used to the voice of Tim Preston, although not a complete let down it no doubt will grow on listeners.  Considering that this is a debut album and a hell of a one at that, minor niggles about the vocal delivery are only that-minor, do yourself a favor and give this the blast it deserves.