Demolition Hammer were a thrash metal band hailing from the Bronx New York. The original line-up consisted of Steve Reynolds, James Reilly, and John Salerno. This line-up would only record one demo together (Skull Fracturing Nightmare, 1988), as the band recruited tattoo artist Vincent Civitano (a.k.a. Vinny Daze, who designed the band’s logo) to replace Salerno not long after. They also added second guitarist Derek Sykes to the lineup to add a fuller sound. After the release of another demo tape (Necrology), they were signed by Century Media records after Robert Kampf (from Century Media) was in America for the Foundations Forum, as he attended a rehearsal that also featured Prime Evil.
The band’s first two albums, 1990’s Tortured Existence and 1992’s Epidemic of Violence, illustrate the band’s guitar riff-laden, dual lead guitar, blast beat, full-fledged brutal thrash approach. Shortly after the release of the latter, Reynolds and Sykes decided that they wanted Demolition’s Hammer music to go in a different (and slower) direction similar to that of Machine Head, which led to the departure of both Daze and Reilly. Reynolds and Sykes recruited drummer Alex Marquez (who is best known for playing in the bands Malevolent Creation and Solstice) and recorded 1994’s Time Bomb as a trio.
Time Bomb would prove to be the proverbial swan song for the band, as the record is absent of guitar solos, quick tempo and blast beats. Drummer Vinny Daze died from Globefish poison on March 11, 1996, and the band quickly faded into obscurity. The first two albums have been re-released on none-more-metal black cds. Buy them! |
