01. Abyssic Thunder
02. Satan's Sword
03. Stygian Lust
04. Nocturnal Windz Of Fire
05. Crimson Dawn
06. Legacy Of Pain
07. Die Eternal
08. Into The Blackness Of Hell

We'll find out at Crimson Dawn whether Deathhammer have unleashed their deadliest blow yet.

Deathhammer is the Norwegian blackened thrash duo Sadomancer (drums) and Sergeant Salsten (bass/guitars/vocals), who emerged back in 2005. They're mainly considered an underground act, but those who know of this duo will also know what ferocious, neck-breaking, and sodomizing blackened thrash terror they can unleash on their listeners. Now they return 3 years after Electric Warfare to mark their 20-year anniversary with their sixth full-length offering, Crimson Dawn.

The cover art for this latest album may resemble something from a trve kvlt parody; however, the album is anything but a parody. Instead it contains just under 40 minutes of some of the most ferociously savage blackened thrash/speed metal you're likely to stumble across in 2025. Here on Crimson Dawn, Sadomancer and Sergeant Salsten have opted for a more dynamic approach, each playing guitar on one another's songs, whereas previously they would exclusively play guitar on the songs they each wrote. Fellow thrasher Arild M. Torp (Nekromantheon and Obliteration) also makes memorable guest appearances by unleashing devastatingly evil solos.

Crimson Dawn is a highly energetic ride with relentless headbanging material from the get-go. The drums pound frantically and sound even more potent than on their previous outputs. The black-tinged riffs are unrelentingly savage, brimming with top-quality traditional heavy/speed melodies, which are then intertwined with wailing and shredding thrash leads. The aggressive semi-shrieked vocals are as evil and demonically menacing as ever, although his high-pitched wails are an acquired taste, and may understandably irritate some listeners. Evil monstrous growls are also present in the background, as well as various other sound effects, which help create a more dynamic and nightmarish atmosphere when need be.

What's interesting about Deathhammer is they're not all about playing at unrelenting breakneck speed, which they can definitely do with the best of them, but they also know when to release their foot off the gas and venture into mid-tempo territories. However, these sections are still rather sparse, as thrashing speed is still the true name of the game for this duo. For the most part, each song repeats the same basic structure and formula, but there are a few occasions where they slow down the pace a wee bit and introduce some intriguing atmospheric elements. I just find that all the relentless breakneck speedy riffing could have done with being reduced a touch more often.

The demonic duo of Deathhammer should definitely be a name placed alongside the likes of Hellripper, Midnight, and Bewitcher in terms of what they bring to the modern blackened thrash metal scene. It's a saturated sub-genre that's growing more and more each year, but with that, the quality this style brings is immense. It's arguably the most exhilarating scene going right now; there aren't many metal heads who don't appreciate a headbang to some good old fashioned heavy, speed, or thrash metal, and throwing some modern blackened influences in offers some extra satisfaction. Deathhammer doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table here on Crimson Dawn, but they've sure as hell nailed what it takes to fit the criteria.

Performance:	8
Songwriting:	7
Originality:	5
Production:	7