Thor's Hammer "The Fate Worse Than Death" CD Bonustracks

Re-issue of the 2010 CD LSS release. No label catalog number. These tracks were recorded in winter 2002.

No-line-up, no contact.
Thor's Hammer way is finished...

Bonus tracks on Lower Silesian Stronghold press are rehearsal tracks recorded 2001.

Supposed to be a debut album of Dark Fury, but both bands united under the Thor's Hammer name.

Hailing from Poland (the land known to be a hotbed of NSBM and Pagan Metal), Thor’s Hammer, now a defunct band, was created by Rob Darken’s blood brother Capricornus. Capricornus classified his music as Horned Metal, well whatever, Thor’s Hammer is like a faster version of Graveland with the technicality of vintage Thrash/Speed Metal bands.
“The Fate Worse Than Death” was released back in 2002, a 7-tracked of anger driven Black Metal (or should I say NSBM?) album, chaotic yet melodic and folkish. Thor’s Hammer had incorporated interesting tempo changes, slow-paced doomy parts plus Speed Metal riffs plus the usual furious Black Metal beats, this arrangement prevents the songs from falling into stagnation and monotony. Capricornus sings with a growling voice using a “inside a bathroom” echoing effects. Capricornus did an outstanding job on the percussion section here. The presence of background keyboards isn’t a surprise since this is another Darken-Capricornus collaboration, I guess the rest of the bands members in this incarnation of Thor’s Hammer will remain unknown due the ludicrous statement at the back of the inlay card which reads: “No line-up, no contact.” By the way, Rob Darken composed the final chapter of this album with his signature ambient heathen electronica Outro. Bravo Rob! Did Rob sample some seagulls squawking here?
Music-wise Capricornus is a talented creature, however, his lyrics contain grammatical and spelling errors, these would surely make Mr. Capricornus’ High School English teacher frown if she finds out about them.
On the production side, this album sounds more like a rehearsal tape, the bass is almost non-existent and it appears that the microphones were installed 40 feet away from the band when they recorded this.
I highly recommend this album, I savor Black Metal taped in a crappy studio, but take heed, Thor’s Hammer’s ideology leans towards the white race supremacy.

Sample: