Formed in San Francisco in 2000, Hammers of Misfortune is a heavy metal outfit that incorporates several throwback nods to variations of the genre's past. The group originally came together as a bit of a side-project, as members of bands such as L7, Ludicra and The Lord Weird Slough Feg joined forces. Combining elements of progressive and power metal with some of the mythical and folk-influenced whimsy that 1970s heavy metal groups often employed, Hammers of Misfortune developed a strong following throughout the Bay Area after the release of The Bastard, its 2001 debut LP. In 2010, the group signed a recording contract with Metal Blade Records, one of the more prominent and influential labels in the metal community.
