apanthropy

Hammerfilosofi
Secundus Adventus
Osmose Productions
Released: July 10th, 2026

Rating: 8/10

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1 – My Blood is My Voice (Reforged)
2 – A Dance Above the Abyss (Reforged)
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One can ask, “is a re-recording supposed to preserve the past or demonstrate how far a band has moved beyond it?” The answer generally treads one of three pathways; restoration of source material, modernization of source material, or reinterpretation of source material. What is witnessed on the second and newest EP from international aggressors Hammerfilosofi is a serious reinterpretation of past material. One could call attention to acts such as Dimmu Borgir, and their re-recording of the seminal Stormblåst full-length. Another commonly referenced instance pertaining to this scenario would be the work of Burzum and Emperor. From the Depths of Darkness saw multiple tracks from the Burzum and Det Som Engang Var full-lengths revisited, and we saw the evolution of Emperor from tracks that appeared on the Emperor EP, ‘I Am the Black Wizards’ and ‘Cosmic Keys to My Creations and Times,’ that were later brought back on their In The Nightside Eclipse debut.

Secundus Adventus is a brief 12-minute EP, showcasing reinterpreted tracks from the band’s sophomore effort, Signum. The tracks ‘My Blood is My Voice (Reforged)’ and ‘A Dance Above the Abyss (Reforged)’ are brought forward again as the prime harbingers of auditory devastation, reanimating the tracks into total killing machines. In the case of Hammerfilosofi, the change in dynamics is radical, confrontational, and full of pure might. Violent songs originally, now made into a bloodlust frenzy on Secundus Adventus.

We can ask, very simply, ‘are these better versions of the old songs?’

But why? Why not ask ‘what does Hammerfilosofi hear in these songs now that they didn’t hear when they originally recorded them?’

That’s a far more important question when framing the colossal attack of Secundus Adventus.

This surpasses the simple ‘these are good re-recordings.’ Aggressive arrangement changes – especially centered around rhythm – are met with a brighter and more dense guitar tone, vocals that feel more animated, production that is absolutely nuclear, and delivered in a manner that should pique the interest of the listener to any future work involving this style of writing and recording.

The increase in sonic dynamism is broad, terminal. The life given to the bass drum presence creates a constantly oscillating strobe of rhythmic force. It’s not simply rhythm and forward-movement; it’s frantic, concentrated, full of violent intent. Those with powerful amps and large speaker configurations will find themselves in a torrential storm of aural conflagration. As ‘My Blood is My Voice (Reforged)’ moves its way along the sonic trench it carves out ferociously each second it plays itself into existence, the listener is battered by sharp bass drum punches. Merging with unbroken waves of manic frequency coming from the guitars, merging with the reckless strangling undertones of the bass, and merging with vocals that could command a tempest; the listener is simply removed from their current state of being.

The mental imagery one conjures inside one’s head while listening to it – while feeling it – is not something divine or benevolent. There are no visions of paradise, of peace, of abundance, sunlight, or virgin sky. There is nothing but passing shades of misery and the stirring of deeply set violent tendencies. An unblinking trance into the abyss, a flickering collage of men torn apart by machine and cannon, vacant crosses, the vacuum of space. It is staring down at a body with no head or hands. It is the desire to continue swinging the axe, even after their enemy is dead and in pieces.

The evolution of tonality between 2025’s Signum full-length and this brief flash of gleaming steel known as Secundus Adventus is like watching the weapons of World War I violently evolve into the meat grinders of World War II. Trench warfare and poison gas weren’t enough. More bombs. More artillery. More mass murder. Everything is enhanced. It sounds better, it feels better, it takes the guilt out of slaughter. When everybody is dead, there’s no one left to give a fuck. It is the perpetuation of destruction and creation, but creation no longer has the will to fight back. It is just endless destruction; the philosophy of the hammer.

The bass drum pattern change animating the chorus of ‘My Blood is My Voice (Reforged)’ is just one dynamical change to the formula originally manifested on Signum. Highly rhythmic staccato bursts of footwork provide a new characteristic to the tonal palette of the original track. The drums are organic this time around, handled by one Dystopian, and handled well. The pacing sounds more intense and more frantic with a real drum kit, enhancing the front-facing violence the track exudes. The tremolo grinding of the guitars and the structuring of the composition could remind listeners of the Swedish variation of black metal; namely Funeral Mist, Marduk, and a more detailed Dark Funeral.

The vocals teem with life, brought to the forefront, not delivered in a traditional sense, more so of a ritualistic shouted command. The bass tone is sharp and rigid, pronounced and present, far so that most black metal recordings. This surpasses the concept of ‘re-recording,’ and has become a full reinterpretation.

‘A Dance Above the Abyss (Reforged)’ isn’t as crowded as the previous track, allowing for deep influence of the tremolo-picked chord progression and voicings to really manipulate the trajectory of the path. The vocals are allowed to stand out far more, as well. Once again, the presence of an actual drum kit in exchange for the drum machine is a startling change. Essentially, it establishes Hammerfilosofi as a real threat in the extreme metal community.

While this is only two tracks, and 12 minutes of material, this is worth seeking out. At the very least, it is worth sitting down and devoting your attention to it. It is ugly, otherworldly, and menacing. The leap from Signum to Secundus Adventus is massive and should excite any fan of blasting European black metal for the future that is in store for Hammerfilosofi. If this current incarnation stays together, there is nothing stopping them from climbing the food chain and consuming the lesser ones on their way to the top, where they belong.

We originally covered Hammerfilosofi and Secundus Adventus on our monthly underground extreme music video series, Beyond the Treeline, on our inaugural volume, classifying them as one of the best ‘Underground Discoveries’ from the month of July 2026. The episode which featured Hammerfilosofi can be found here.

Label: Osmose Productions
Band: Hammerfilosofi

AJK