Pagan Hammer more or less defines the typical underground band. They've put out four works in the past year; two demos, one split tape limited to 100 copies, and this, an EP limited to 123 copies put out on Nokturnal Transmissions Records. I've been using the pronoun "they", but like most bedroom acts, this is the work of a single person, Kurt Ehlerson.

That said, unlike a good chunk of the black metal underground, the music is both distinctive and enjoyable. Often described as epic ambient black metal, it focuses around simple, melodic riffs that have a soaring, majestic quality. The effect vaguely resembles that of Summoning, but only in the loosest sense possible, given that the sounds of the two bands are almost entirely different. Most songs will only have a few riffs in them, possibly as few as two, but the album is saved from dullness by changes in texture with each repetition: the drums will change their rhythm or the vocals will enter. The latter in particular bear mention, as I've not heard anything like them elsewhere.

They resemble nothing more than a harsh wind blowing across the microphone, rendering the lyrics largely incomprehensible (admittedly, little more so than in most black metal), but providing a suitably chilling effect. The closest group I've heard this compared to is Burzum, but that really does Pagan Hammer an injustice; while both groups focus on repetition and atmosphere, Pagan Hammer takes it to a much greater extreme. In addition, Pagan Hammer feels more inspiring, in a martial sense, than Burzum, which tends more toward the depressing.

Of the songs on this EP, "The Eagle Ascends" fits Pagan Hammer's musical conventions most closely, though it's probably one of the band's best executed songs. The opening song, "Ode to My Fathers", actually worried me a bit at first with how closely it resembled the opening song on the previous demo--"Foreseeable War"--at least, until an aggressive, chugging breakdown kicked in, and the song took a turn toward left field. This is probably the most daring track on the album from a musical standpoint. The final song, "Die With Honor", straddles somewhere between the two tracks in adventurousness; its conventional aspects are not as strong as those in "The Eagle Ascends", but an unexpected guitar solo at the end really makes the song.

Despite the small number of songs, this is not a short EP, clocking in at 25 minutes. Listening to it can be a bit challenging: on the one hand, if you're in the wrong mood for it, it can get repetitious; on the other, if you don't pay close attention, you will likely miss most of the nuances. That said, when it clicks, it can really be quite good, and at it's best, it's even kind of catchy. On the whole, this is probably the group's best effort and a worthy listen, especially given the cheap price; at the time of writing, the EP can be had for all of $6.