ARTIST SPOTLIGHT ~ HAMMER DOWN HARD

I'm Music Magazine, Lonnie Hammer, Hammer Down Hard, Every Mother's Nightmare, Black Oak Arkansas, Jack Russell's Great White, Kim Allegrezza, Justin Rimer, Total Annihilation, Who Am I, Cephalopod, Madness Serves Me Well

Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our listeners to some deserving up and coming artists/ bands. They have made an impact on us for all of the right reasons. We think they kick ass and we hope you do too! Today, we’d like to raise our horns and shine the spotlight on Hammer Down Hard!

With numerous bands and 18 albums under his belt, LONNIE HAMMER’s drive, determination, and undeniable talent have earned him a notable cachet within the music industry. During his illustrious career the popular drummer/singer/songwriter has been a member and recording artist with the legendary rock band BLACK OAK ARKANSAS, in addition to EVERY MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE, and playing for JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE. Never one to rest on his laurels and always with a few surprises up his sleeve, in 2017 HAMMER followed his desire and created HAMMER DOWN HARD with assistance from his manager and business partner KIM ALLEGREZZA (THE ALLEGREZZA AGENCY).

Recording at CROSSTRAX STUDIO in Memphis, TN, LONNIE HAMMER along with Producer and co-writer JUSTIN RIMER (SAVING ABEL, 12 STONES, FULL DEVIL JACKET) pushed deep into creative realms and branched out into new territory both musically and lyrically. Seizing on tangible emotions and the gnawing hypocrisy of everyday life HAMMER DOWN HARD brings forth honest songs, powerful vocals and fury you can feel. With a formidable explosion of energy and enthusiasm HAMMER surprised the hard rock/metal music world when he stepped out from behind the drum kit to front of the stage as lead vocalist for the band. HAMMER plays drums on all his recordings.

HAMMER DOWN HARD’s indelible debut album, Total Annihilation, presented all-star guest guitar performances by members of SHINEDOWN, CANDLEBOX, SALIVA, GREAT WHITE, RIOT, 12 STONES, WINGER and SURRENDER THE FALL. Total Annihilation debuted at #3 as the Most Added record on the Metal Contraband Chart and remained in the Heavy Top 40 for eight weeks. HAMMER DOWN HARD was voted Rockwired Magazine’s Artist of the Month for August 2018 by the fans only weeks after their debut and was selected as one of the Top 20 New Bands That Rocked 2018. AXS exclusively premiered the “Total Annihilation” music video January 3, 2019. The NBA team MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES jumped on the hometown HAMMER DOWN HARD bandwagon and play “Total Annihilation” and “Who I Am” in full rotation during live games at the FedEx Forum to fire up their players and fans.

From this primordial insanity emerged Madness Serves Me Well, which was fired off in just over a year after Total Annihilation. HAMMER’s approach is if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and once again teamed up with Producer and co-writer JUSTIN RIMER. The “Cephalopod” music video was released on October 28, 2020. LONNIE HAMMER, the innovative mastermind behind HAMMER DOWN HARD, once again proved his prowess as a lyricist and songwriter with this release. The video’s epic imagery perfectly complements the grandeur of the song. HAMMER DOWN HARD teamed up with Director BRASCO, CEO and owner of Durty South Entertainment. His magnificent creative direction mystically draws viewers into the realm of LONNIE HAMMER’s madness. “CEPHALOPOD” is the fifth track off HAMMER DOWN HARD’S second record, Madness Serves Me Well, and follow-up to the album’s first single “Dark Side of Heaven.” BRASCO will be directing the music video for the band’s next release “Worlds Gone Black.”

The current live band lineup is Vocals-LONNIE HAMMER, Lead Guitar-RANDALL X RAWLINGS (SEBASTIAN BACH), Bass-DANIEL DWIGHT (SAVING ABEL), Drums-MIKE DOVER (ROCK CITY ANGELS/SEBASTIAN BACH), Rhythm Guitar-DAVID SOARD (CULT OF THE FLAG). HAMMER DOWN HARD’s first tour included opening for SKID ROW, AUTOGRAPH, and ACE FREHELY. The band’s 2019 tour comprised playing dates with HINDER and ROYAL BLISS, along with headlining playing clubs, fairs and festivals. 2020 dates with SLIPKNOT and ANTHRAX were canceled or postponed till 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions. In 2021 look for HAMMER DOWN HARD on tour, headlining festivals and playing dates with BAD WOLVES, SNOOP DOGG and LIMP BIZKIT. HAMMER DOWN HARD is currently scheduled to headlining the International Hot Wings and Music Festival in Memphis, TN, the rescheduled date is TBD.

“I really love new music, heavy and not so heavy. I will always love being a drummer but I have found a new passion for being a lead vocalist and front man!” Lonnie Hammer

We sat down for a quick and fun five question Q&A with the man himself Lonnie Hammer!

Every superhero and villain has an origin and a band is not different. Well, minus the radioactive spiders and secret government experiment. What’s the origin of Hammer Down Hard?

Lonnie Hammer: Well I got tired of being the one in bands pushing hard trying to make things happen. Sometimes it felt like I was dragging careless anchors around. Finally I just decided just to do things totally my way. I had to shake things up, so I switched from playing drums to becoming a lead vocalist/frontman and write from my heart. Life is tough for everyone including myself so now I am able to capture all the frustrations of life and put it in my music. The inspiration of my song Cephalopod was looking past the hard times and look up to a brighter horizon. If anyone tries to stop you pull them under. So if Hammer Down Hard had a superhero “bat cave” origin it would be the ocean like a Cephalopod.

What’s in a name? Sometimes a band’s name has a story behind & sometimes it’s something that sounded cool. What about Hammer Down Hard?

I came up with it because it’s my life. I always Hammer Down Hard on everything I do.

You’re booking a tour that you’re on & you can bring along any 4 bands (even if they are no longer with us or just broken up). Who would you choose?

Arch Enemy, Slipknot, In This Moment and Butcher Babies.

What was the moment that you knew music was definitely going to be your future?

When I played my 7th-grade dance.

What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?

The Flintstones