I originally wrote the following review in early 2005, just a few months after this albums original release date of November 11th, 2004. Why re-post you ask? Simply because I like this old review and it shows how much I was into them at the time (still love this album too) and as well since Gallhammer is something of a known name these days a lot of what I say wouldn't make since all these years later. Anyway..."Get this, and I kid you not. Gallhammer is an all female black/death/doom metal band from Nakano, Japan. They take the stage in long white dresses; wear black paint around their eyes and lips and look like three girls killed on prom night that have now risen up from the grave to pay tribute to the old school metal gods. It’s a friggin’ dream come true I tell ya!
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but with their first album, ‘Gloomy Lights’ Gallhammer is paying tribute to the old Swiss band Hellhammer. Listening to Gloomy Lights is like taking a trip back to 1984 when Hellhammer wrote, 'Apocalyptic Raids' and the whole death and black metal scene was just getting started. The music’s pace is for the most part in the sluggish to mid paced range with the faster parts only popping up here and there. Can anyone say Triumph of Death! Lead guitarist and vocalist Mika Penetrator’s (yes, yes, fuck yes!) vocals alternate between painful brutal shrieks, which she shares with bassist Vivian Slaughter who uses more of a typical doom growl. The line up is complete with Risa Reaper who handles the drums, kinda sloppily might I add, but that’s the only way to play this sort of old school music anyway, right? Actually come to think of it everything including the production is pretty sloppy and minimalistic, but the music is ridiculously gloomy, atmospheric, depressive, and reeks of evil fishy black breath. True maybe the world doesn’t need another Hellhammer tribute band, but to find one from Japan and to have them be all females is just amazing as far as I’m concerned. I may be in love!"
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