Bloodstock Bound: Hammer
As Bloodstock gets closer, we delve deep into the line up to find out more about some of the bands playing the New Blood and EMP stages at this years event.
Today we chat with Hammer
The Razor's Edge: Please introduce yourself and your band mates.
Hammer: Hey there, thanks for having us. I’m Jim and I’m the vocalist for Hammer - the most recent member of the band after joining in early 2023. Adam & Dave both share guitar and backing vocal duties whilst also providing the majority of songwriting. Providing our thundering bass is Piot and our timekeeper and hard hitter is Keith on the Drums
The Razor's Edge: How would you describe your sound?
Hammer: Whilst we’ve all got a tonne of influences between us all, we are focused on delivering an intense, aggressive and chaotic sound. Our recent single From Beyond is based on the Stuart Gordon 80s sci-fi horror of the same name and I suppose that we just want to bring those 80s sci-fi horror ,over the top and gory vibes to our sound. That same feeling you get when you see the defibrillator scene from John Carpenter’s The Thing - a ‘WHOA, THAT WAS WEIRD AND AWESOME’ kinda feeling.
The Razor's Edge: How did you land your spot on the Bloodstock bill?
Hammer: We took part in the Scottish Metal to the Masses and came out on top. Initially we had entered as a means to get some more shows, meet some different audiences and make some new pals. We’re absolutely blown away with the reception we received, it was such an incredible thing to be a part of and would encourage anyone thinking about doing it to do it.
The Razor's Edge: How tough was this years M2TM competition?
Hammer: Anything that has a competitive element is tough, mainly psychologically and for a few different reasons. Whilst you’re wanting to progress to the next stage, you’re also wanting to ensure that you’re coming across as well off stage as you are when you’re playing your set. But that ability to network and meet new people is also one of the top benefits of the series of events. You’re going to meet people in your scene that have the same level of love for music as you, and that can be a great way to make new friends and build contacts. The competition level was, as to be expected, very high. There was not a single set throughout the competition that was disappointing and competing has really helped us up our game.
The Razor's Edge: What does playing at Bloodstock mean to you?
Hammer: For us all this is absolutely monumental, personally it is a milestone in my life. Bucket list kind of stuff here. It has, however, made us hungry for more. We absolutely realise that we cannot just rest on our laurels whilst we wait to play and that it is up to us all to continue to improve everything we do on and off stage to ensure that Hammer can keep growing as an entity.
The Razor's Edge: For people who’ve never seen you live, what can they expect at Bloodstock?
Hammer: We love what we do and I think that comes across in our live performances. We’re highly energetic and always look to use as much of the stage as we possibly can. With my dungarees on, I’ve often been described as some sort of deranged Texas Chainsaw looking figure and others have described our live sets as terrifying. We try to keep it intense and a lot of fun.
The Razor's Edge: What day are you performing?
Hammer: We will be performing on Friday 9th August on the New Blood stage and we cannot wait!
The Razor's Edge: What other bands are you looking forward to watching at Bloodstock this year?
Hammer: There is a wild amount of talent at Bloodstock this year across each and every stage. We’re all very keen for some of the headline acts like Clutch, Whitechapel, Carcass, Deicide and of course Opeth (to name just a few) but there are also some acts like Burner and Osiah that I cannot wait to see on the Sophie stage. On the EMP stage I really cannot wait to see Yersin play and I’ve been listening to a lot of Goblinsmoker recently too - we’ve also got fellow Edinburgh Celtic Punks The Gallowgate Murders. On the New Blood there are a lot of great bands about too, far too many to chat about here. In particular our Edinburgh brothers Disposable will be playing the New Blood on the Friday. It is such a great lineup that we are honoured to be a part of.
The Razor's Edge: Playing the New Blood Stage is just the first steppingstone in a bands journey. What’s next in your plans for world domination?
Hammer: Yeah, huge stepping stone but we definitely need to look to where we will place our feet next to keep crossing the river! We’ve got some more shows lined up for 2023, with Fleshtival upon our return from Bloodstock in August and Dundee Metal Fest in December. We’re looking to keep building our fanbase and to get more shows where we can further South. Ultimately, we need to keep up the momentum we’ve built on our single From Beyond and our soon to be released Accelerator and we will soon be hitting the studio to put together a grander release for later on in the year/early 2025 at the very latest.
The Razor's Edge: Are you camping with the fans? Which campsite are you heading for?
Hammer: Yeah, we’re all going to be down with our friends and some family members and as fans it is only right to camp where we normally would. We’re torn on whether to chance the visceral energy within Midgaard (and the clanging of the bins and hypnotoad chants), or to perhaps find a chiller time in Jotunheim. I personally just cannot wait to be at Bloodstock, its such a good opportunity to catch up with friends from a variety of place and across different friend groups. I love the festival so much, its such a perfect size whilst delivering top notch bands.
The Razor's Edge: It’s festival weekend, what’s your food vendor of choice on site?
Hammer: Tough, tough choice. For me it is a tough call between the Bunnychow and Salt and Chilli Chicken stands!
The Razor's Edge: See you at Bloodstock in a few weeks!
Hammer: We can’t wait to be there!
