Threatener

Threatener: The HammeringThe Hammering (2004)
625

Reviewer Rating: 5

Contributed by: KenKen
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on January 11th 2005Anyone who reads my incoherent posts on this site knows that I am a sucker for a fast record, and Ann Arbor's Threatener delivers in spades. The Hammering EP boasts eight songs and clocks in at just over six minutes, and ranks among the sickest pieces of wax ever to grace my turntable. Threaten.

Anyone who reads my incoherent posts on this site knows that I am a sucker for a fast record, and Ann Arbor's Threatener delivers in spades. The Hammering EP boasts eight songs and clocks in at just over six minutes, and ranks among the sickest pieces of wax ever to grace my turntable.

Threatener plays a brand of punk stripped of all the unnecessary - mosh parts, emo crap, clean parts, intros, etc., and gets straight to the killing. This record is a raw, relentless fury of blastbeats and over-the-top, blown out vocals. Drawing influence from early 80's bands such as Negative FX and Lärm, Threatener proves they could easily hold court with the kings of thrash and maybe teach the old-timers a thing or two.

Lyrically, The Hammering paints disturbing pictures from the damaged psyche of vocalist Rod McClain; filthy and ugly images are driven home by his hoarse and raging delivery. Here is an example from the song "Societal Runoff:"

In my world there's a gun in every news camera and a chainsaw at every garage sale. This shovel cost me eleven dollars, but by daybreak I'll have had my money's worth. Violent departure from all truth and meaning. God loves an idiot, Religion of Beatings.

Doesn't that make you feel all warm inside? Couple the deranged lyrics with guitar player Lucas Korte's brutally awesome artwork, and The Hammering takes its place as one of 2004's best releases and gives Threatener an impressive debut to say the least.

The first pressing of this record has already sold out, but 625 will be repressing it soon for those who missed out the first time. If your record store doesn't carry this, you can order it from Ebullition.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (January 15, 2005)

Yeah, man. I agree, I do fucking nut in my pants over this band....thats why i reviewed it on this site, so maybe you kids would hear 'em too.

In my opinion, this record fucking rules. It is one of my favorites and thus gets a ten in my book. If you don't agree, write another review and bash these guys. I've had this record forever and it gets more hangtime in my tapedeck than anything else that has came out in the last year.

-Ken

p.s. - That livejournal comment stung.

Anonymous (January 13, 2005)

I dont doubt that this is probably good. But all he does is piss himself over this band. This isnt a review, its a livejournal entry. I dont hold anything against "fastcore", or "grindcore", or whatever other ridiculous word you choose to stick in front of core.

-!GreenVandal!

FortyMinutesWest (January 12, 2005)

Yeah, why the hell should something get a lower score because it's short? Would you like bands like Discordance Axis to write 15 minute ballads of grind? Sure, some bands make long songs that are engaging and good, but that doesn't mean that long tracks are suited to every kind of music.

joeg (January 12, 2005)

Yeah, sorry, but this blows the fucking doors off of everything I bought in the past year. By the way this actually came out in late 2003. My Bad.

If you knew anything about fastcore or hardcore for that matter (looking in your direction, Greenvandal) you would recognize that this style has never been done better than on this record right here. This is one of the best fastcore records I have ever heard and therefore it gets a ten.

To the kid who thinks that Ep's deserve less scores than albums, um, not in this style. The shorter the better. My attention span is like ten seconds long and thats why I like my shit fast.

-ken

i don't know where fastcore came from but i do know i like f-minus and they do that style well. i wrote a review of theirs, hopefully it goes up soon.

Anonymous (January 12, 2005)

Anonymous (January 11, 2005)

this review is bullshit. please actually try to look at a record analyticaly (sic?) if your gonna review it and not just gush like a groupie who just got to blow the band.

-!GreenVandal!

slippy (January 11, 2005)

Oh shit. My friend is obsessed with Threatener, but I have never listened to them really. I'm assuming that it's "brutal".

Anonymous (January 11, 2005)

Now I can appreciate thrash as much as anyone, but come on. A 10 for this is just a tad too much. The fact that it's just an EP knocks it down to an 8 and then because it's only 6 minutes knocks it down to a 6, even if it's the best shit out there. 6 minutes is a joke and a rip off.

Anonymous (January 11, 2005)

oh my ears, somebody, turn it off!!

MarkieStabone (January 11, 2005)

10/10?