J-Man The debut outing from Philadelphia-based death metal act Fisthammer is an interesting mix of extreme metal styles old and new, and is very likely to scratch the itch of listeners looking for a modern-sounding album that also takes a few hints from the death metal of yesteryear. Devour All You See has intense blasts in the vein of Deicide and Cannibal Corpse, technical leanings reminscent of Spawn of Possession or Obscura, as well as crushingly devastating modern thrash portions from the likes of Meshuggah or Killswitch Engage. Factor in a few melodic overtones, and it looks like we have a pretty well-rounded blend of modern death metal on our hands!

Fisthammer has offered a well-rounded debut indeed, and I think their take on death metal is likely to have a broad appeal within the metal community. While it may not amaze anybody with its striking originality or breathtaking composition, Devour All You See is a very professional, well-composed, and well-performed debut effort. The musicianship, especially in the guitar department, is phenomenal across the board, and although the growled vocals come across as a bit unenthusiastic to these ears, they are undoubtedly competent.

Devour All You See is simply a quality album in many regards, and I could very easily see this debut satisfying the majority of extreme metal listeners out there. While not among the elite death metal releases so far in 2012, Fisthammer has offered a very impressive debut that should be hunted down by fans of modern technical death/thrash metal. I'll be very interested to hear what this promising trio has up their sleeves next time around.

optisailor2002 Standing apart from the recent resurgence of old school death metal are bands like Fisthammer out of USA that attempt to bring about new innovations in the genre, with their debut full length album Devour All You See not only containing highly polished production qualities, but also the infusion of a whole host of elements that makes it hard to really classify the band into a particular genre, though at the heart of it all the band's main influences are drawn from death metal.

And this is immediately apparent right from the opening intro track The Final Hour of Darkness, complete with heavy synths, a prelude to the destruction that is to follow. The album begins proper with Razorwaves, and the crisp production quality instantly captivates the listener, with all the instruments sounding out clearly and crushing the listener under a wall of noise. The music on Devour All You See is heavy and crushing, yet unlike your usual death metal band that focusses almost solely on brutality, Fisthammer oftentimes incorporate large hooks and melodies in their riffing styles such as on Bullet Raped, and this certainly helps in grabbing the attention of fans of the more melodic style of death metal and thrash metal. Songs like Berserkers and Doom of the Gods could almost sound as if it come off a melodic death metal album, with the latter containing an Amon Amarth feel, albeit with a heavier and more brutal touch to it.

The ability of Fisthammer to draw listeners in is also shown through their songwriting abilities, where instead of having a full-on blasting album, there are moments when the band takes a suitable slow down to slowly build the tension. Kull the Conqueror is one such track where the track opens with acoustic guitars, with the band biding their time in creating a high tension atmosphere. The crushing moments on the album such as the slow and heavy parts towards the end of Aten: Fear of the Obliteration of Earth even brings to mind such Polish acts as Behemoth and the likes, with vocalist Greg bearing quite a strong resemblance to Nergal.

As already mentioned, one of the other main things that made Devour All You See particularly charming is the clean production quality of the album, where each instrument is clearly heard through the mix. In particular, the lead guitar tone cuts through the underlying chaos, allowing guitarist Max to really display his chops, and this is especially enjoyable on tracks like Aten: Fear the Obliteration of Earth where there is a long guitar solo in the middle of the track that shows the somewhat eccentric lead guitar style of Max. The drumming of Danny is also stellar here, with the sharp and precise hits, and this certainly came as a surprise, considering how the work on his other band, On Top did not particularly leave a lasting impression whatsoever. Devour All You See is definitely a high quality release from a relatively young band, and the high quality tracks contained on the album would certainly leave fans of all things melodic and/or brutal craving for more.

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