3rd August 2025

5 Albums I Want To Be Buried With #9: Hammer!

Edinburgh Extreme Metal act Hammer have just given us the gift of a sophomore album sophomore in “Trapped” of which they can be proud. Not only is it an absolute belter of a record but it also has a DIY or DIE attitude about it with guitarist Adam Poustie using all his skills and no doubt learning a few along the way. That’s because not only did he demonstrate his prowess as a riff lord on the album but he also engineered and recorded the guitars, vocals and bass for it. Thanks to Sammy Urwin at Since Always Press, a man whom you may know for his work in Employed to Serve and at Church Road Records, we were lucky enough to be able to get Adam Poustie on board for this weeks edition of 5 Album I Want To Be Buried With!

The premise is simple: “Back in ancient Egypt they believed that the items their Kings were buried with would travel with them into the afterlife and so part of the burial ritual would see the mummified bodies surrounded by chariots, gold and more. Fast forward to now. If there were five albums that you’d want buried in the coffin with you to take to the afterlife, what would you choose?”

1. “Alien” – Strapping Young Lad
“Strapping Young Lad are probably the band who had the biggest influence on me growing up. It’s tough to choose a favourite album – I love them all – but “Alien” feels like such a complete statement. It’s manic, intense and so almost on the verge of falling apart but manages to keep everything together in such a powerful way. “Skeksis” is definitely the standout track on this album – complex and catchy at the same time. It’s the kind of song writing I aspire to”

2. “Phantom Limb” – Pig Destroyer

“If Strapping had the biggest influence on younger me, I’d say Pig Destroyer probably hold that spot as an adult. Another band where I could choose any album of theirs, Phantom Limb is just the best distillation of what I love about them. Total unrelenting riffs – I love grind but Pig Destroyer work in a groove, a catchiness that takes it to the next level. As a pure metal album, I’d say this one’s undefeated. Heathen temple is absolute riff city.“

3. “The Fragile” – Nine Inch Nails

“This album is a total vibe. Big anthemic tunes and some really pretty melancholic soundscapes. A huge part of my love for massive melodic chord sections came from this band, along with the way they iterate sections on top of each other, like the music is escalating upon itself, then pulling back to escalate again. I feel like I can always pick something new out when I listen to this album. The build up to and total release on the song We’re in this Together never gets old.”

4. “Cross” – Justice
“An absolute banger from start to finish. Super infectious grooves and massive filthy synth samples. I listen to a lot of electronic music, probably more than metal these days, and I find it really influences a lot of my song writing. This album felt like such a punch to the chest when I first heard it, like a total eye opener to genres I hadn’t really considered all that much. It’s not metal but it’s heavy as f**k! Stress is my standout, just for it’s intensity. Was the first song I heard off this album and it immediately drew me in.”

5. “Pacific” – Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, Tatsuro Yamashita
“Total left field, but this album is the ultimate chill out album. I have to make sure I’m not doing anything for the rest of the day when I listen to it. Feels like it physically relaxes me when I put it on. Ideally I’d be listening to this with a drink or two in the sun. The track NoaNoa is super chill, so good. I love heavy, intense music more than anything but sometimes it’s nice to just kick back and listen to some chilled tunes.”

“Trapped” by Hammer is out 1st August 2025 and is available over at bandcamp