Judgment Hammer - Arbiter of Fate

January 8, 2010

Reviewer: Chris

Okay, as I stated already I rarely give out five stars due to there being nothing that can be called a masterpiece of late. Well, Judgment Hammer has released what I, in my humble opinion, call a masterpiece of old school thrash that should have been the album Metallica released after Master of Puppets. These four guys kneel at the altar of Metallica and it shows, though not so as much to call them a clone. The music contained within this album is nothing short of amazing and kicks metal up ten notches on the thrash radar!

Formerly known as The Four Horsemen, JH has issued Arbiter of Fate and it is an absolute must-hear by the metal masses of all eras. Equally amazing is that this band doesn’t hail from the San Francisco area, or anywhere you might imagine a metal band of such caliber would; Montana is home to these boys! I stumbled on to the band’s MySpace and have been playing the unholy hell out of the CD ever since. Musically, these guys are about as solid as any one human can possibly be, lending nothing to luck or saving nothing for chance. The band’s influences list reads like a who’s who of 1980’s metal, ranging from the big guns like Metallica, Slayer and Exodus to Running Wild, Exciter, Kublai Khan and Nasty Savage! With seemingly pinpoint production, Arbiter of Fate has every little element of metal that should be ingrained into the current stable of bands, known and unknown. If any band can make the 80s sound viable and fresh today, this band is doing it, and doing it well!

Every track is a standout on this CD; it’s a complete journey into a thrash band’s evolution that missed its decade by 25-years. Thankfully, we have bands like this that still make it exciting to like thrash metal music the precise way it should be played. Take this humble writer’s word for it: if you seek thrash that is done with amazing precision and talent, these young guys have it and are going to make one hell of a name for themselves before next year is out if they stick with it. I can’t say enough how impressed I am with these guys, and hopefully some of you will be as well.

Man, it’s good to bang the head that doesn’t bang once again….

Release Date: November 3, 2009
Label: Band Self Released

TRACK LISTING

1.  Lightning War
2.  Judgment Hammer
3.  Treason
4.  Never Repent
5.  No Surrender
6.  Kill Or Be Killed
7.  Swift Justice
8.  Join Or Die
9.  Thicker Than Water
10.  Brazen Serpent

Total playing time: 58:58

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