It’s hard to be truly unique in the music business today. Every riff has been written, every note has been sung, but by god, Cardiff’s Lighthammer are trying their best and to some extent-succeeding. The trio’s talent has not gone unnoticed on the Welsh music scene but their new E.P “Launch” could see them catapulted to a wider audience.
Kicking off with “Adventure Time,” the sludgy, Torche like riffs are almost at odds with the upbeat feel of the track, but it works so well. Vocalist JT has a genuine voice, rarely heard in these circles, which seems to soar adding to the feeling of positivity around the E.P. There’s an almost spaghetti western feel to the start of “Esperanza,” an instrumental number that doesn’t need vocals to tell its story as it builds from a beautifully worked bit of lead guitar into a wonderful slab of dirge and back down again. Morricone meets Melvins? There’s an undercurrent of pulsating distorted bass to “May lanterns and Blue In Hue” that brings to mind Kylesa, as JT once again exercises that voice to wonderful effect. To end this little slab of heavy we are treated to “Four Million Stellar Masses” an exercise in heavy riffing with grooves for days. Never have four songs seemed like such an epic journey, but that’s what Lighthammer do, whether it be live, or in the studio, the music takes you places. In their relatively short time as a band, the band show a maturity of song writing that would take lesser mortals years to hone. “Launch” drops on June 21st, put it in your diary now, you’ll be sorry if you don’t because Lighthammer are ready to take off.