Stereotypically, high school metal bands always have that one older guy who guides them and teaches them.
In this case, Morbid Justice guitarist and backup vocalist Kyle Dalton has taken on that role. A founding member of the longtime local metal band, Dalton, along with Daniel Candler and Levi Stockton, formed the band, with Logan Gasdia and Phillip Robertson joining a couple of years later. The band is turning 16 years old this September.
So when it comes to making music, Dalton knows what he’s talking about.
“It’s kind of like seeing a mirror image,” he said. “I was these kids 20 years ago ... So when I saw these younger kids getting into it, it brings a smile to my face.”
Anarchy Hammer is a four-person band made up of: Julian Dugas (17) on drums, Madden Harlen (16) on guitar and vocals, Steven Moore (16) on bass, and Dalton (35) on guitar and vocals. Dugas attends Animas High School while Harlen and Moore attend Durango High School.
In November 2021, Harlen and Moore decided to create their own band. As some complications with their first drummer came up, Harlen reached out to Dugas about potentially joining. One thing led to another and not long after their conversation, Dugas became the permanent percussionist and Anarchy Hammer became what it is today.
Proclaimed mentor of the band, Dalton has been a member since November 2022, while still playing with Morbid Justice.
At first, Dalton was filling in for a band member who quit right before their first show. After that, Anarchy Hammer and Dalton stayed in contact, eventually leading to him to offer to help the band produce and release their first song, “Judgement Day.”
If you go
WHAT: Metal Night featuring Anarchy Hammer, Skin Walker, Decapitation of a New Day and Red Lotus.
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday (Doors open at 7:30 p.m.)
WHERE: The Hive, 1150 Main Ave.
TICKETS: $5 suggested at the door.
MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.thehivedgo.org.
“I initially just wanted to help them out, move them along ... getting them into metal, things they should be jammin’ out to, and it kind of snowballed from there into a more full-time thing. We recorded the song in my studio here, Sinnister Studios, and that was initially why I started talking to these guys – (it) was just to have them come in and record a song because I know how hard it is being young and when I was their age, there was no outlet for recording or anything,” he said. “There was one local recording studio and they charged way more than any of us could afford. So I wanted to just get them in here to record.”
The idea of Anarchy Hammer came to Harlen while in class, he said.
“I was in class doodling and I drew the Anarchy logo and hammer over top of it and then Steven asked me, ‘Hey, do you want to start a band?’ With a different drummer, not Julian, and we were thinking of band names and I said, ‘Hey, what about this?’ And Steven said, ‘is that the anarchy logo?’ and I said, yeah, and he goes, ‘What about Anarchy Hammer?’ And I said, yeah that’s sick!”
While a lot of bands work for years to figure out their signature sound, this wasn’t the case with Anarchy Hammer. With aggressive drumlines, heavy bass and nasty guitar riffs, Anarchy Hammer believes they are discovering their sound but aren’t quite there yet. Harlen and Dugas find the heavy guitar riffs and drumlines to be enjoyable and personal, while also representing their desired auditory calling card.
“‘Judgement Day’ was our first song, and we hadn’t really found our sound yet,” Moore said.
Anarchy Hammer will play this weekend at The Hive, opening for Skin Walker along with Red Lotus and Decapitation of a New Day.
Niko Peterson is an intern at The Durango Herald. He is a junior at Animas High School.
