Hammercult: Steelcrusher – new album

I will tell you what I think of HAMMERCULT: if they don’t get nominated for next year's “Best Metal Performance” Grammy-thing, they should at least win the “Most Enthusiastic Band On Earth” category. Tel Aviv's own have a new album out today, January the 27th, 2014 (it will be released in North America on February the 4th); it is called ‘Steelcrusher’, it is covered in art by the legendary cover artist Andreas Marschall, it was mixed and mastered by Chris “Zeuss” Harris, SEPULTURA's Andreas Kisser contributed a “furioso guitar solo” on the album's fifth track ‘We Are The People’, and SPV/Sonic Attack Records released it. HAMMERCULT's energetic frontman, Yakir Shochat, elaborated on the album as follows:

“[The title-track is] heavy, crunching and full speed ahead - it’s like getting hit in the face with a mighty storm of steel. Brutal, epic lyrics and riffs delivered with that ultraspeed that HAMMERCULT are known for! It’s an anthem of praise, dedicated to that incredible force known as the human soul and its willpower! ‘Burning The Road’ is burning the tires and going full throttle – pedal to the metal! [On comparatively moderate track ‘Liar’:] On this one, we decided to play a little more slowly and simplify things. While this song is 100% HAMMERCULT metal, it’s a little tribute to early 80s punk songs and attitude: I fucking hate liars – and that’s what this song is about! Life is no playground, it will kick the shit out of you any chance it gets, but you have to get your ass up and fight back!”

So there you have it: ‘Steelcrusher’ awaits your order (as vinyl LP and as CD) here (HAMMERCULT's store) and on Amazon.

Formed in Tel Aviv in late 2010 by vocalist Yakir Shochat, guitarists Arie Aranovich and Guy Ben-David, bassist Elad Manor and drummer Maayan Henik, HAMMERCULT released a five-track digital EP called ‘Rise Of The Hammer’ just a few months after the band's formation. In 2011, they won the Israeli Wacken Metal Battle finals and, in August of the same year, HAMMERCULT were declared a winner of the 2011s edition of  “W:O:A Metal Battle”, signing with German label Sonic Attack Records as a result. In 2012, HAMMERCULT released their debut full-length album, ‘Anthems Of The Damned’, which was produced by the band's own Arie Aranovich and mixed by (former HATESPHERE vocalist) Jacob Bredahl:

In 2013, the band had toured with SEPULTURA, they lost their axeman Aranovich and were rejoined by guitarist Ben-David, they played at “Summer Breeze”, “MetalDays” and “Neurotic Deathfest” festivals, had signed with SPV and had recorded their second album, ‘Steelcrusher’ (plus “Elad got married!”):

“In my opinion,” [says Shochat] “there’s only one way to make your dreams come true and that is with lots of commitment and soul, instead of false compromises and questionable ideals.”

HAMMERCULT features: Yakir Shochat – vocals, Arie Aranovich – guitar, Guy Ben David – guitar, Elad Manor – bass and Maayan Henik – drums