Artist: Hæksenhamer
Country: Germany
Label: Death Revelations
Formats: 12” EP / Cassette EP
Year: 2026
With the dust left behind by the first full-length ‘Poisonous Heathenism +rabid:antikosmik:madness+’ barely settled, Hæksenhamer already returns with their latest EP. ‘Kaoskampf +raging:void:ultras+’ features three new tracks, with a tape version already sold out and a vinyl version due for release any moment now.
On previous recordings the secondary title of the releases was typically foreboding of what was to come. From the foul Folk crusade of ‘Heimat’ to the rabid antikosmik madness of ‘Poisonous Heathenism’, we are due for some raging void ultras on this brand-new EP. And indeed, ‘Kaoskampf’ seems the darkest and most twisted of the Hæksenhamer releases thus far. In comparison to ‘Poisonous Heathenism’ is has a more repetitive character in the riffs, aiming for a hypnosis through the harsh guitars with the drums providing a deeper sense of restlessness. ‘Kaoskampf’ has the escalated ferocity of ‘Poisonous Heathenism’ yet also reminds me of ‘Heimat’, with its more uniform riff structure and ritualistic tone, and it would not surprise me if ‘Kaoskampf’ also finds its nature in an escalated jam session.
Yet it is not pure aggression that can be found here. Deep down there is still that sense of melancholy. ‘Cabin Fever’ starts with gentle strumming and a spoken sample, but once the harsh guitars join it immediately transcends into unsettling directions, representing a more darkened twist. Yet when the pace drops there is some room, through plodding bass and slightly opened riffs to reveal a sense of yearning. As before, the vocals are deranged, and possibly escalate further than before. ‘Smoke, Broken Bottles, and Ravenous Blades’ opens in a slower manner, and highlights the rather straightforwardness of the guitars with the threat of escalating drums tempo. Here, the melancholy is perhaps even more evident, though describing it as a longing for darkness would probably be more accurate. The closing track ‘Forged by the Devil’s Hammer’ goes straight for the throat, again finding comfort in a minimal number of guitar patterns. Yet it not at all sounds repetitive, but instead wild and volatile, like a chained rabid dog, lashing out with a break of the chain coming closer with every attack.
More stripped down than on ‘Poisonous Heathenism’, ‘Kaoskampf’ is the equivalent of aggressive hypnosis. Uniform in the guitar riffs yet frenzied in drum dynamics and rabid in the vocal delivery, Hæksenhamer continues to unleash a primordial chaos from within with fierce passion and in punishing fashion.
