Hammers of Misfortune v Slough Feg

[byrne]

This thread isn't supposed to be one of those crappy "play off bands against each other" type threads. Whilst some may argue it is crappy, I'm still interested in which band people generally prefer.

Obviously Slough Feg has a number of good releases out (I'm yet to hear their latest), but overall I think the best release from either band is "The Locust Years". This album (along with Pentagram's Day of Reckoning, which I guess was a totally irrelevant comment) I have had on repeat constantly over the last 6 or so months. It's brilliant and reminds me a lot of The Chemical Wedding, mainly through it's non-offensive sound, clean execution and seemingly effortless brilliance. Also, I find the vocals to be brilliant. They are different and are the core of what I mentioned before in the seemingly effortless brilliance.

In contrast, Slough Feg (and the albums under the name Lord Weird Slough Feg) are a lot more in your face, uplifting (in a sense) and radiantly melodic. Whilst I enjoy Dawn Among the Deadmen and Atavism (being the two I listen to most often), they don't really compare to The Locust Years.

Thoughts?

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Hammers

 

[Skepticism]

I've never heard any Slough Feg, but nothing beats The Bastard.

 

[Matt]

I don't own any Slough Feg. I liked all the HoM material I've heard.

 

[MetalHeadMarc]

dude, Hammers have had better musicians in the drum department. Slough feg's first few drummer were absolute slop. I could stand it, the drumming that is, but the songs were still good. Hammers also hasn't turned sour unlike slough feg b/c their new album isn't that hot

 

[genocide roach]

definitely hammers. for all the reasons listed above and their sound is totally unique. slough feg is unique too, but i think hammers' sound is more fluid and natural.
~gR~

 

[Mort Divine]

Slough Feg is easily the superior band, I really prefer Scalzi's guitar and writing style which is brought out more considering that Slough Feg is HIS band, and HoM is Cobbett's.

Hammers is awesome, but nothing they've released is anywhere near as great as Traveller or Twilight.

 

[Deadtide.com]

Hammers, in a big way. "The Locust Years" was one of the best metal albums in ages.

Review of "The Locust Years"
Interview w/ Cobbett

 

[MetalHeadMarc]

I know some of you say that Slough feg was all scalzi's hand, but if you look at the liner notes, you see Cobbet was credited with a few tunes when he was in the band. On the other hand, I do think Hammers sounds as good as they do b/c of Scalzi's voice. Either way, Hammers of Misfortune is a unique band and they have their own sound now, which I think ultimately is what helps define a band. Slough Feg is just throw back band. I don't mean to slur them in any way, they are a great throw back band, but they aren't entirely original.

 

[Mort Divine]

Slough Feg is just throw back band.

They really are not though. When I listen to them I do hear the influences of bands like Brocas Helm, Manilla Road, and Legend but they're not a copy of them, they're not doing this to simply be a "throw back" band.

You'll find that if they simply were just a throwback band they'd be pretty useless as the majority of the time they're absolutely worthless.

Take two bands - Wolfmother and Witchcraft. Both play styles that are obviously from around the 70s, and yet one of the two bands attempts to do NOTHING new with their music, doing nothing but the throw back and they're not even remotely worth listening to, while the other adds to the styles of bands such as Sabbath, Pentagram, and bands from around that time. They're more than a throwback band, they're a modern evolution of the style. I don't think it takes brains to know which band I'm referring to in each description.

As for what Slough Feg is, they're that second kind of band, they take the influence from the old school heavy metal bands but they take it and craft it into something that is all their own and in a way quite unique.

 

[swizzlenuts]

They really are not though. When I listen to them I do hear the influences of bands like Brocas Helm, Manilla Road,

This is not true because Mike had never heard of them for his first few albumbs.

 

[swizzlenuts]

Anyway, I don't think I can choose because I like each band for different reasons.

To set things straight...

Hammers..
The Bastard > The August Engine > The Locust Years

Slough Feg
S/t>Twilight = Down = Traveller> Hardworlder > Atavism

 

[Mort Divine]

This is not true because Mike had never heard of them for his first few albumbs.

Oh, well then - my point still stands that it is unfair to call them a throwback band.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Take two bands - Wolfmother and Witchcraft. Both play styles that are obviously from around the 70s, and yet one of the two bands attempts to do NOTHING new with their music, doing nothing but the throw back and they're not even remotely worth listening to, while the other adds to the styles of bands such as Sabbath, Pentagram, and bands from around that time. They're more than a throwback band, they're a modern evolution of the style. I don't think it takes brains to know which band I'm referring to in each description.

Actually Wolfmother is 1000 times less "throwback" than Witchcraft in every single aspect of their music/sound, even image. There is no single "modern evolution of the style" element in Witchcraft.

By the way the primary influence for Slough Feg is Thin Lizzy, whose impact in almost every Scalzi riff/melody is more than obvious.