Words by Donna Borges
October 30, 2025
Melting a fractured heaviness with the nonchalance of slacker-rock, Anything Can Be A Hammer is NYC’s Bloodsports’ brooding and dynamic take on guitar music. Ominous lyricism lends itself to the complicated and conflicting emotions stemming from counterproductive decisions and self-sabotage.
Opening interlude “Trio 1” unravels as an expansive, buzzing introduction to the record followed by the raw and angular “Come, Dog”, easing us into the foreboding tone to follow.
“Themes” blends brooding slowcore with enticing, ghostly melodies. The track paints vignettes of the human condition, climbing until it reaches a glimmering peak of heavy trembling guitars.
Boosting the energy, “Calvin” relieves us with a fuzzy garage-rock banger. “Trio 2” marks the middle of the record with dissonant pinpoint guitars to enhance the chaos before moving into the latter half of the record.
“Rot” retreats to a slow and sludgy rhythm, stitched together with post-rock melodic elements. Compelling itself to combust, it expands into a cathartic release of roaring vocals buried in bass-heavy noise.
Lilting vocals melt into crunchy, cutting distortion in “Rosary”. The melodies sway in a chant-like ritual, spinning you into the sound. “A River Runs Through It” brings down the energy in a short-but-sweet acoustic lullaby before leading us to the title track.
The culmination of the record, “Anything Can Be A Hammer” finds the band reaching its breaking point. The jarring jump into absolute chaos is marked by jangly disjointed guitars and piercing vocals, dissolving into occasional soft and melodic moments.
With this record, Bloodsports has established themselves as a rising force in rock music. Each piece of Anything Can Be A Hammer is captivating and has left me wanting more; I’m hoping to see them live if they tour the west coast soon.
Take a listen for yourself and keep up with Bloodsports here.
