Album Reviews

When I first heard the name Ringworm, I knew I was not going to be in for something pretty. Turns out I was right. These guys have been venting their frustrations since 1991 with a downright brutal mix of metal and hardcore and have been doing so ever since. They strike again with “Hammer Of The Witch”, their sixth album overall and first for Relapse.

 As soon as opener “Dawn Of Decay” starts off with a creepy intro before bursting wide open like a boil filled with puss, it immediately becomes clear that these guys still manage to sound more genuinely pissed off and disgusted with the state of things than most metalcore bands that came after them ever managed to achieve. And that’s even before vocalist Human Furnace’s growls are spat out over you.

After that these guys unleash a torrent of thrashy riffs, breakdowns that will get every moshpit into a frenzy (check out “One Of Us Is Going To Die”) and even throw in the occasional solo. They rage through “Exit Life” in just over 100 seconds with a punishing blastbeat that kick in right after the intro and it’s not as if titles like “I Recommend Amputation” and “Die Like A Pig” leave much to the imagination.

It’s been a long time since I first came across the name Ringworm and they haven’t disappointed since. You always know exactly what to expect and they deliver every single time. If anything, they seem to have become even more pissed off this time around.