San Francisco’s Hammers of Misfortune deliver the goods in fine prog-rock style with their seventh album ’17th Street’. As the opener ’317′ runs its course, the chunky swashbuckling chord work and flurrying lydian guitar solo bode well for a classic album with epic overtones. The title track ’17th Street’ and ‘The Grain’ don’t disappoint as their galloping rhythms ebb and flow with equal fervour and attack. As ‘The Grain’ draws to a close, an outtro of exquisite contrast moves you to a state complete distraction. ’17th Street’ offers further twists and turns, from the very superb doom riffage of ‘Staring (The 31st Floor)’, to more theatrically frameworked tracks like ‘The Day The City Died’ and ‘Grey Wednesday’. Clocking in at just over 10 minutes, ‘Going Somewhere’ is the final and longest track on the album, and has a distinct rock opera feel to it with its various moods and movements. Undoubtedly, for connoisseurs of prog-rock metal, this bay-area broadside will command your attention.