Ham Fisted
| Ham Fisted | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 24, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | Summer 1994 | |||
| Studios | Reflection (Charlotte, North Carolina) | |||
| Genres | Rock, grunge | |||
| Length | 47:52 | |||
| Label | Island[1] | |||
| Producer | Steven Haigler[2] | |||
| Local H chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Ham Fisted | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| Robert Christgau |  [4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [1] |
| Kerrang! | [5] |
| MusicHound Rock | [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
Ham Fisted is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Local H.[7][8] It was released through Island Records in January 1995.[9] Two songs, "Cynic" and "Mayonnaise and Malaise", were released as airplay singles in 1994, though the album failed to chart. A music video for "Cynic" was directed by Jodi Wille and released in February 1995.[10] In 2025, for its 30th anniversary, the band released a re-recorded version titled reFISTED.[11]
Critical reception
[edit]Trouser Press wrote that Ham Fisted "offers an entertaining haymaker of cranked- up, stripped-down '95 noise."[12] Robert Christgau gave the album a three-star "honourable mention", comparing it to two releases by Nirvana by calling the album "brighter than Bleach, less fly than Incesticide".[4] Newsday called it "a spell-binding display of neurotic rock and roll at its finest."[13] The Morning Call listed the album among the best of 1995, labeling it "a metallic punk-grunge KO."[14]
Track listing
[edit]All songs written by Scott Lucas and Joe Daniels.
Personnel
[edit]Local H
Production
- Steven Haigler – producer, engineering, mixing at The Carriage House (Stamford, Connecticut)
- Dave Cozzie – assistant mix engineer
- Tracy Schroeder – additional engineering
- Janet DeMatteis – art coordination
- Jana Leòn – photography
- David Calderley – design
- Joe Bosso – A&R
- Bob Ludwig – mastering at Gateway Mastering Studios, Inc. (Portland, Maine)
References
[edit]- 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. pp. 287–288.
- 1 2 MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 682.
- ↑ "Ham Fisted Local H". AllMusic.
- 1 2 "Local H: Ham Fisted". Robert Christgau. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- ↑ Arnopp, Jason (March 18, 1995). "Albumz". Kerrang!. No. 536. EMAP. p. 48.
- ↑ Kot, Greg (2004). "Local H". In Brackett, Nathan (ed.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. pp. 492–493. ISBN 9780743201698.
- ↑ "Local H Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ↑ "Cover Story: Local H". Illinois Entertainer.
- ↑ Shehori, Steven (November 27, 2018). "Local H's Cautionary Major-Label Tale Is Actually a Success Story". Vulture.
- ↑ "Local H - Cynic". YouTube. June 2, 2020.
- ↑ "reFISTED Local H". Bandcamp. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
- ↑ "Local H". Trouser Press. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ↑ Young, Jon (February 19, 1995). "Recordings". Fanfare. Newsday. p. 23.
- ↑ Righi, Len (December 30, 1995). "The Year in Review – Discs". The Morning Call. p. A33.
