Having siblings can be tough. The expectations of blood bonds combined with familial traditions and differences in personality can be a lot to manage, and that’s before you’re in a band with not one but two of your brothers. Still, Hammerhedd are making it work and they’re making it work in a big way. The Ismert brothers—Abe, Henry and Eli—rip groovy, progressive metal that lands somewhere between Septultura’s best years, mid-career Gojira and early Mastodon.
Their new album, Nonetheless, drops independently on February 24 and MetalSucks wanted to know the deal about who inspires the Ismert brothers, so we asked them and they obliged. What follows is the band’s collective picks for their favorite bands featuring brothers. What they gave us is a diverse list that showcases multiple sides of Hammerhedd’s listening habits, not just the heavy end of the spectrum.
Gojira
Gojira are without a doubt one of our biggest influences as a band. Ever since we first discovered them in high school, we’ve been addicted to their odd grooves, pummeling riffs and unique creativity within the progressive death metal genre. They are world-class musicians who seem to almost tell whole stories with their riffs and drum patterns. We also admire their dedication to their craft; while on tour, they watch almost every live performance back after the show to improve upon it the next night. Complete beasts… They deserve every bit of success they achieve.
Our favorite songs of theirs include: “Where Dragons Dwell,” “Clone,” “The Art of Dying,” “Pray,” “Born in Winter,” “Indians” and “Lowlands.”
Sepultura (Cavalera Era)
Sepultura has always been one of our favorite bands to cover; we’ve been playing their classics since our first live shows! “Arise,” “Dead Embryonic Cells,” “Propaganda” and “Territory” have all been on our setlists at one point or another. These guys were raw, primal, and heavy as hell. In our opinion, Max has one of the best metal voices of all time. Just an awesome band!
Our favorite songs of theirs at the moment are: “Refuse/Resist,” “Nomad, Amen,” “Murder” and “Territory.”
The Avett Brothers
These guys are genius songwriters and lyric writers… they’re damn near poets. If you don’t believe us, listen to “Murder in the City,” “Ballad of Love and Hate” or “No Hard Feelings.” They have an uncanny ability to convey such meaningful stories and messages in a very concise, non-preachy way. They are humble, happy, truly great musicians, which is everything we also hope to be as a band!
Our favorite songs of theirs at the moment are: “Salvation Song,” “Once and a Future Carpenter,” “Laundry Room,” “Talk on Indolence,” “Pretty Girl at the Airport” and “Pretty Girl from Annapolis.”
Creedence Clearwater Revival
One of our favorite bands growing up… they are the complete embodiment of the broad term ‘classic rock.’ John and Tom Fogerty were such amazing songwriters, we only wish they could’ve kept on good terms for longer. It’s remarkable how short CCR’s ‘prime’ was and how many great songs they made. Although they are a household name, we feel like they still aren’t talked about enough as one of the great American rock bands of all time.
Our favorite songs of theirs include: “Green River,” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” “Lodi,” “Midnight Special,” “Long As I Can See The Light” and “Someday Never Comes.”
Allman Brothers Band
Tight, soulful and instantly recognizable. Duane and Greg Allman are uniquely amazing blues songwriters and have had a massive impact on us as a band. Their ability to jam seemingly forever and never become boring or out of sync with each other is quite simply brilliant; we hope to become like that one day as well!
Our favorite songs of theirs at the moment are: “Little Martha”, “Whipping Post”, “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More”, and “One Way Out.”