BURNING HAMMER is a novel endeavor spearheaded by former Havok and Machine Head guitarist Reece Scruggs, created as a conduit to harness his own unaltered vision and creativity. With Scruggs handling all guitars and lead vocals, he’s joined by bassist Noah Martin (Arsis, Wolven Spirit, ex-Lilitu) and drummer Stefen Burns (Monolith), united in a tight-knit powerhouse thrash metal trio.
The band is putting the final touches on their debut album, which will be unveiled for release in early 2027. In the meantime, the lead BURNING HAMMER single, “Rabid Lycanthropy,” has been let off the chain early to introduce this mangling new project to the masses. The track was produced, mixed, and mastered by Stefen Burns at B&M Studios, Berkeley Springs,...
BURNING HAMMER is a novel endeavor spearheaded by former Havok and Machine Head guitarist Reece Scruggs, created as a conduit to harness his own unaltered vision and creativity. With Scruggs handling all guitars and lead vocals, he’s joined by bassist Noah Martin (Arsis, Wolven Spirit, ex-Lilitu) and drummer Stefen Burns (Monolith), united in a tight-knit powerhouse thrash metal trio.
The band is putting the final touches on their debut album, which will be unveiled for release in early 2027. In the meantime, the lead BURNING HAMMER single, “Rabid Lycanthropy,” has been let off the chain early to introduce this mangling new project to the masses. The track was produced, mixed, and mastered by Stefen Burns at B&M Studios, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.
On the band’s formation, Reece Scruggs states, “BURNING HAMMER was born out of pure passion and a sense of personal fulfillment in a very dark and uncertain time. It gave me the ability to have a creative, positive, and productive outlet, and it gave me the chance to see my own vision come to life. Nothing to do with ego or power, but purely just to see something through that’s 100% mine. To stand on my own two feet.
“Accompanying me are two dudes that I’m very fortunate to have on my team. Noah Martin has a body of work that speaks for itself. Along with his incredible bass playing, he’s brought enthusiasm and positive attitude that has really pushed me through this journey. Stefen Burns is a guy I’ve worked with on other projects, and I truly believe it’s just a matter of time before everyone in the scene is going to him to record their music. He’s an absolutely amazing engineer and drummer, but there’s also a brotherhood there with him as well. I’m extremely grateful for his work and participation.
“It’s too death to be thrash, too thrash to be death. Tech tendencies with punk structures, blackened moments, and full of cryptic, conspiratorial, and fantastic lyrical topics, all wrapped up in a horror movie-inspired La Sexorcisto-type of package. To add the cherry on top of this blistering, super fun, relentless project, it also features some of the absolute best musicians in the metal community and beyond.
“With the release of this first effort, I ask the listener, be it fan, journalist, music critic, or whatever else to come with me on a journey. Lose yourself in the fun topics of the lyrics and focus on the music. Drop your bullshit at the door and have some fun. I’m not reinventing the wheel here. All I’m doing is presenting my brand of tire. I’m not here to push an agenda either. I write death/thrash songs with lyric topics to get the listener away from the real world for a little bit. With that in mind, give it a try. This project and this record were a huge release for me in a terrible time in my life. I hope listening to it can help someone in a positive way.”
Noah Martin adds, “Reece and I had wanted to work together since Havok and Arsis crossed paths on tour. When we first started talking about what would become BURNING HAMMER, I could tell Reece quickly wanted to build something that hits back—a collision of thrash and early Shrapnel‑style guitar heroics with the blunt force of death metal. It’s also a treat and a real honor to have so many friends and killer players contributing guest solos.
“I’m proud to be part of something that feels this alive, and I can’t wait for people to hear what we’ve built. It’s the kind of album that reminds you why you picked up an instrument in the first place. There’s this clever simplicity to it—the songs just roll off the proverbial tongue. My parts came together over months of jamming what felt natural, without overthinking, and that instinctive energy is all over the record."
