Ball & Chain – Appalachian Hammer (2012)

When by a blind luck I picked band Ball & Chain I didn’t know what to expect. I couldn’t find to much information about them. No Wikipedia page (at least I couldn't find one), barely any info on other sites. This made me a bit nervous. How could I provide some more depth to this review? But fortunately “Appalachian Hammer” has some much juice and I don’t need any support to present you these fine 40 minutes of music. Ball & Chain plays southern rock/metal music. If you’re familiar with this genre, you don’t need to much introduction. But if this American style is less known let me give you some info: grove heavy guitars, a punchy bass, dynamic drums and a manly voice with lyrics about life, history and pride of American people from smaller cities/town/villages. Also regional instruments, like banjo (this can be more associated with country music), have their voices here. “Redneck Metalhead” takes you slowly into this unique style and after tittle words, fun begins. Not to quick tempo but good rolling guitars and drums lead the way to a very catchy song. Also a melodic and pristine solo adds a lot of flavour to already great entrance song. Song “Ball & Chain” starts with deep, low bass notes and a vocal. Part of this song has almost doom metal tempo, putting more emotions towards heavinesses. It’s pretty atmospheric. “I Just Feel Mean Today” tells a story of a difficult day of a man. Delicate intro has a fell of sunrise on a prairie. Just a few seconds later another groovy heavy style comes in and takes you for a ride. You can hear some acoustic and steel guitar elements as well. “Dungeon Queen” has a massive riff that stays in a head for a long time, headbanging guaranteed! I also like these small licks in verses that give a new dimension to already good song. My favourite song is “Call Of The Wild”. This melody at the start!! Beautifully implanted a middle east (Arabic?) scale that creates a fantastic lead which you could hear over and over again! In later part of the song heavy drums add an extra layer that creates a gigantic sound and you just would love to hear this band live! Titled song, “Appalachian Hammer” brings a rhythmic snare (sounds like a paradiddle). Once again song has slower tempo but keeps you entertain all the way! This song also brings a lot of memorable lyrics and catchy phrases. “Pray For Me” has more a party vibe, ready to be rolled on some rock influenced party. Your head will till back and forth from the start to the end of this groovy song. One of the most intriguing songs is “Done Me Wrong”. It has a very specific and unique lead and a mini solo at the start. The coolest part of this song is a vocal. For some reason, it sounds more powerful than on the other songs. I can only assume that lyrics are based on some personal experience and this extra element gave the vocalist an extra strength to top that track. Get ready to jump into mosh pit in “Now He Cries”. Short but very powerful song which brings your youth back. For this kind of song it’s worthy to get some kicks! Last song on the album, “Fiends Like This”, creates almost a family type vibe. It’s one of these songs you would sing along. I could see myself siting in front of my best friends and, with glass of whisky in my hand, talking about good old times. Conclusion: Oh boy! After I finished to listen this album for the first time, I already knew it will end on my phone and become one of my favourite albums of all times! If you’re looking to expand your rock playlist, “Appalachian Hammer” will definitely do a good job. If you are not familiar with this kind of music, Ball & Chain can be a perfect gateway for your souther rock/metal journey!