Master's Hammer

Master's Hammer
Background information
Origin Prague, Czech Republic
Genres Black metal, Experimental metal
Years active 1987–1995, 2009-present
Labels Kron-H, Osmose, Jihosound Records
Associated acts Airbrusher, Fata Morgana, Hujer, Kaviar Kavalier
Website http://www.mastershammer.com/
Members František Štorm (vocals/lead guitar/synthesizer/bass guitar/drum beats)
Necrocock (guitar)
Kapak (drums (session))
Past members Carles R. Apron (drums)
Ferenc Fečo (drums)
Milan Fibiger (bass)
Ulric For (drums)
Tomáš Kohout (guitar)
Míla Křovina (guitar)
Honza Přibyl (drums)
Mirek Valenta (drums)
Tomáš Vendl (bass)

Master's Hammer are a black metal band from the Czech Republic.[1] The band has remained active with several lineup changes between 1987 to 1995, with a reunion from 2009 to the present.

It is considered one of the most representative groups of its kind in the country, in interpreting their songs entirely in Czech language. In addition, it is one of the precursors to incorporate symphonic metal elements. To a lesser extent, he has experimented with electronic sounds or avant-garde metal.

History

They were founded in 1987 and produced several demos, before releasing their debut album Ritual in 1991, which sold more than 25,000 copies in the Czech Republic according to the band.[2] Two years later they completed The Jilemnice Occultist (often misspelt as The Filemnice Occultist due to a typo on the booklet).

Their third album (Šlágry in 1995) was a drift away from the previous work incorporating many styles outside the metal genre, and the band announced "that Šlágry II and a forthcoming CD-ROM will rely more on professional opera singers and orchestra players",[3] although this following album was never released.

In 2009 Master's Hammer reformed and released Mantras, their first album in 14 years.

In late 2012 was released fifth album called Vracejte konve na místo. The album was awarded as the best hard and heavy album in the Czech music Awards and Břitva awards for 2012.

On July 2013, Master's Hammer creates their own record label, called Jihosound Records, under which released their sixth studio album in 2014, entitled Vagus Vetus.[4] On 30 May 2016 they released their seventh studio album, Formulæ.[5]

Musical style

In Kerrang!, Master's Hammer's style was described as "fusing Thrash with classical themes", and The Jilemnice Occultist was called "an operetta in three acts featuring such extraordinary titles as 'That Magnificent Deer Has Vanished In The Bush' and 'I Don't Want, Sirs to Pester Your Ears'".[6] Götz Kühnemund from German Rock Hard magazine compared the concept album The Jilemnice Occultist to King Diamond although Master's Hammer's style was "considerably more uncompromising", but the vocals "sound like a mixture of deep King Diamond voices and Quorthon's guttural grunts", Bathory being an obvious influence although Master's Hammer have a sound of their own including keyboards, classical instruments and orchestral passages.[2]

Speaking of Ritual, Fenriz, the drummer of the influential Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone, noted that the album "is actually the first Norwegian black metal album, even though they are from Czechoslovakia".[7]

On Šlágry, the band "virtually abandoned the operatic black metal of previous releases in favor of modernist electronic music" and "shares publishing credits with Carl Czerny, Otto Katz, and Giuseppe Verdi, mixing bits of metal, folk, and musique concrète into a style based on the classical avant-garde".[3]

Members

Current line-up

Former members

Timeline

Discography

Demos

Studio albums

Year Album
1991 Ritual.
1992 Jilemnický okultista
  • Label: Self-released
    •
  • Format: Vinyl, CD
1995 Šlágry
  • Label: Kron-H
    •
  • Format: Vinyl, CD
2009 Mantras
  • Label: Self-released
    •
  • Format: Vinyl, CD
2012 Vracejte konve na místo.
  • Label: Self-released
    •
  • Format: Vinyl, CD
2014 Vagus Vetus
  • Label: Jihosound Records
    •
  • Format: Vinyl, CD
2016 Formulæ
  • Label: Jihosound Records
    •
  • Format: Vinyl, CD

Compilation albums

Extended plays

Live albums

References

  1. ↑ Christe, Ian (2004). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Meta. It Books. pp. 253–254, 353. ISBN 0380811278.
  2. 1 2 Götz Kühnemund: MASTER´S HAMMER. The Jilemnice Occultist. In: Rock Hard, no. 73.
  3. 1 2 "Riffs". CMJ New Music Monthly. May 1996. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  4. ↑ INTERVIEW: Master's Hammer (November 2014)
  5. ↑ Master's Hammer - Formulae | MetalStorm
  6. ↑ Lee Barrett: The Black Metal Directory. In: Kerrang!, no. 436, 27. March 1993, p. 46.
  7. ↑ http://www.myspace.com/officialdarkthrone/blog/519327311

External links

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