Psychic Static
The Hammer Party
Tiamat's Revenge
Providence veteran post punk, noise rockers return once again with their new single "Tiamat's Revenge" which engages the listener into a three and a half minute panic attack of apocalyptic sci-fi horror with the b-side delving even deeper into the subject matter portraying a chaotic graphic narrative based on the title track...
Released March 9, 2024
Credits:
Drums: Joe Prop
Bass: Justin Silvia
Guitar: Damian Puerini
Vocals: Dan St. Jacques
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Sammy D'Ambruoso at
Andem Street Studios in Providence, RI Summer of 2023
St. Jacques’ influence runs deep. John Dwyer of The Osees credits St. Jacques as the person who showed him how to go on stage and be unconcerned with what people thought. “John's an old buddy of mine, he always brings us along for the ride. All my different bands have gotten to open for the Osees over the years. It's awesome that he mentions me and I'm humbled by that. It’s true, as a musician you have to have the confidence to go out there and not worry about it. You may think something's ridiculous or silly, but then, all of a sudden, that's the trend, and everybody's copying you. You know what I mean? You should never doubt yourself. Have enough self-doubt to be humble, but not scared to try new things.”-Meg Coss, Motif Magazine
The Hammer Party returned to the studio fairly quick after the unexpected loss of original guitarist, Andy Newman (Glazed Baby), and having to follow Covid protocols. Despite these odds, the band found a former Providence native, Pete Berkowitz, to fill the vacancy left by Andy. Collectively they were able to document the intensity and raw power of the live band which is a perfect companion to their debut. Rick Pelletier (Six Finger Satellite, La Machine, Oceans of the Moon) appears courtesy of himself on sax for Walk the Walk.
Tragedy struck again which lead to new guitartist, Pete Berkowitz, to step down....
Giving opportunity for Damien Puerini (Tall Teenagers, Song Birds) to take over as guitarist and has been an integral member of the band since the Spring of 2022...
Joe Propatier : Drums (Scarce, The Bevis Frond, Silver Apples)
Dan St. Jacques : Vocals (Thee Hydrogen Terrors, LANDED, Olneyville Sound System, Vincebus Eruptum, Six Finger Satellite)
Rick Pelletier : Sax (Walk The Walk)
Justin Silvia : Bass
Pete Berkowitz : Guitar (Die Theory)
Recorded and mixed at Distorted Forest in North Smithfield, RI by Jared "Wizard Fingers" Mann.
Mastered at Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket, RI by Seth Manchester.
Artwork layout for vinyl and CD by Josh Yelle.
Reviews:
"...the HAMMER PARTY has some pretty big shoes to fill, and does an admirable job holding the grimy torch. These four songs adhere to the “find a groove and play it into the ground” side of the genre in the vein of 400 BLOWS and MELT DOWNER, and they do it well."
-Nick Odorizzi(Maximum Rock N Roll)
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"There’s still those tight rhythms and blistering guitars, but new ideas are being incorporated. St. Jacques’ vocal delivery also fluctuates a bit within the EPs four tracks. At some points his singing sounds a bit grimey while at other points it’s straight up yelling while exuding serious angst. In its entirety, Earth Abides showcases excellent cohesion and syncopation within the songs."
-Rob Duguay(Pawtucket Times)
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Some serious highs and lows as I settled into this album from Providence noise-rockers The Hammer Party. At first, I was delighted to realize that Dan St. Jacques (of Landed infamy) is the singer, but I was quickly saddened to learn that their guitarist Andy Newman passed away last November. Way too many of us dying! Regardless of whether or not The Hammer Party decide to move forward, Smashed Hits is a solid slab of ornery, blue-collar noise-rock, as gristly as the cover’s collage of torn flesh and broken glass. Their songs are repetitive and punchy, with primitive rhythms that replace groove with staccato bashing. There’s no denying the presence of early Swans in this sort of equation, but it reminds me even more of Landed’s later work (the less improvised, more song-based stuff) or fellow Providence scum-jockeys Snake Apartment. It’s certainly the perfect framework for St. Jacques’ mostly-human vocalizing – he sounds more and more like the monkey-troll-man he has tattooed on his chest, the sort of filthy creature who catches you after dark and forces you to answer a riddle about class politics before letting you pass. “Russian Collusion” is the one for me, with Newman’s guitar playing recalling both Andy Gill and Greg Ginn while St. Jacques tells it like it is in rhyming couplets. Friends and family of Newman should most certainly be proud.
-Matt Corvette(YELLOW GREEN RED March 2021) "Smashed Hits LP" review
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