9th June 2025

Review: “To Speak In Tongues” by King’s Hammer

Having given the world a pair of albums in the past two years with his main squeeze Shovelhead A.D. guitarist and vocalist Chuck Weatherman has made the decision to switch genres and move from Thrash Metal to Death Metal for a solo project dubbed King’s Hammer. Backed by the combined strength of both Rottweiler Records and Broken Curfew Records, the Richmond Virginia multi instrumentalist handled everything except the mastering, which was entrusted to Seth Metoyer (Mangled Carpenter, Pulpit Vomit), making this endeavour “solo” in the truest sense of the word.

Opting for a raw sound means “To Speak In Tongues” sounds distinctively like a demo but while it doesn’t have the polish, it does have a good mix meaning that each instrument can be heard independently from each other without one overpowering any other. Opening cut “The War In Heaven” is a lesson in Groove Death violence with punchy guitars and a growled vocal that leaves you wondering if you might be listening to a demo from Pantera at their heaviest. A little soloing in the final seconds is a nice touch but a little more would have been nice. Increasing the intensity vocally “Vehement Zeal” offers up blast beats and chugging guitars with a sinister and menacing quality. Eerie leads add another dimension to the sound, which by this point has gone all out Death Metal with old school vibes. It’s easy to see why this wasn’t suitable material for Shovelhead A.D. the heavier nature of this beast . The brutal grooves of “Wrath Decends” are reminiscent of early Lamb Of God, the hammering blast beats of the mid section effectively being a solo that decimates the weak and thins the herd with its violence. The blood spitting venom continues with “Crusade IX“, a track which has 90’s Florida Death Metal scene influences. Weatherman has an imposing vocal presence and on this one he sounds like a beast from the black depths, seemingly reaching a new level of power and confidence as it plays out. Taking us back to Salem Massachusetts circa 1692 “Witches Bvrn” takes no prisoners with violent death growls and brutal headbang-able chugs before it fades to black. A powerful uppercut to the jaw from a prize fighter at the height of his game, this record is one that will knock you into next week because its the sucker punch you didn’t see coming [7.5/10]

Track Listing