Hammered Hulls – S/T 7” (Dischord Records)

Hammered Hulls is a brand new band consisting of some familiar faces. The band has started as a result of a friendship between Alec MacKaye (Faith, Ignition, The Warmers, and Untouchables) and Mary Timony (The Mary Timony Band, Green 4, Ex Hex, Autoclave, Wild Flag, The Spell…among the others). They grew up in the same neighborhood in Washington, D, so they were always aware of each other’s somewhat distant orbit. Mark Cisneros (America Hearts, Deathfix, Chain And The Gang, Des Demonas…plus many more) has been active on an LA scene over the years, but he’s settled in Washington for over a decade, so he hopped in the band as a full-time guitar player. The band wouldn’t be complete without a drummer, so Chris Wilson (Acquaintances, Hound, Open City, Shake Ray Turbine, The Firebird Suite…etc) stepped up as a rhythm section in the band. As you’ve noticed, Hammered Hulls consist of skillful musicians who spent the main portion of their lives performing in various bands. Their abilities to almost instantly adapt to various circumstances and different musical genres are beyond comprehension. Hammered Hulls are delivering a classic revolution summer sound for whom Dischord Records mostly became recognizable as a recording label, but it seems that this band does it with a lot more passion than any other band before. The group transmits generous portions of uncompromising energy through seemingly analog sound, and I would never believe this 7” has been published last year if someone told me so. The song structures, dynamics and arrangements reminiscent some pleasanter days for this remarkable version of hardcore punk music and thankfully, a genuine sound of DC hardcore music is back on the map because of Hammered Hulls. The ferocious rhythm section and notable basslines have been layered by memorable ultra-melodic guitar segments, so the band retains this formula through the entire recording. Both guitar and bass have been equally polarized, so you’ll notice each movement made by these skillful shredders. All the drumming parts have been performed with such precision and dynamics, so the rhythm section remains tight at all the presented compositions. Great musicianship has been graciously enhanced by Alec’s memorable vocals that range from classic intoning to shouting, so these appropriate vocal maneuvers are perfect for this variety of hardcore punk music. The 7” record has been published by Dischord Records, so you can order your copy at the label’s website or you may visit Hammered Hulls Bandcamp page for more details about ordering.