Altered Five Blues Band – Hammer & Chisel
Altered Five Blues Band – Hammer & Chisel
Format: CD – Vinyl LP – Digital
Label: Blind Pig Records
Release: 2026
Release date: February 27, 2026
Milwaukee’s powerhouse Altered Five Blues Band returns with their eighth studio album, ‘Hammer & Chisel,’ a simmering set of eleven original songs that showcase why this award-winning group has remained at the forefront of contemporary blues for over two decades
Belted out with gusto by singer Jeff Taylor, each track crackles with the energy of a band firing on all cylinders——tight musicianship, razor-sharp guitar work, and witty lyrics that cut straight to the bone. From the opening salvo of the funky, horn-driven “I Got It Good” through the cautionary “Who Can You Trust” to the empowering closing statement of “The Will of Man,” the album demonstrates the kind of top-notch performance that can only come from five musicians who’ve spent 24 years honing their collective sound.
As the band explains, they’ve been “hammering away, scraping and chiseling our way forward, carving out our own corner of the blues,” with the album title itself serving as a metaphor for their relentless creative process. Hammer & Chisel explores universal themes that resonate with anyone navigating life’s complexities: love, loss, resilience, and redemption. The emotional range is impressive——from the resilient hope of “Lotta Love Left in Me” and the unwavering devotion of “Hell or High Water” to the swampy Delta blues seduction of “Dare Me to Do It,” the rule-breaking attitude of the title track, and the haunting personal reckonings of “Can’t Shake It,” the band navigates everything from tender vulnerability to defiant independence with equal conviction.
Produced by multi-GRAMMY winner Tom Hambridge and featuring guest harmonica ace Jason Ricci on three tracks, Hammer & Chisel” captures Altered Five Blues Band exactly where they are now: seasoned, sharp, and still hungry to create. It’s an album that honors the blues tradition while carving out a sound that’s all their own.
Website: https://www.alteredfive.com/
Tracks:
01. I Got It Good (Schroedl, Arber, Huebler, Solveson, Taylor)
02. Dare Me to Do It (Schroedl, Hambridge)
03. Who Can You Trust (Schroedl, Arber, Huebler, Solveson, Taylor)
04. Lotta Love Left in Me (Schroedl)
05. Hammer & Chisel (Schroedl)
06. Can’t Shake It (Schroedl, Taylor)
07. Headline Blues (Solveson, Schroedl, Arber, Huebler, Taylor)
08. Hell or High Water (Schroedl, Taylor)
09. My Love Ain’t a Lie (Schroedl)
10. Crazy One (Huebler, Schroedl, Arber, Solveson)
11. The Will of Man (Schroedl, Taylor)
JEFF TAYLOR vocals
JEFF SCHROEDL guitar
MARK SOLVESON bass
STEVE HUEBLER keyboards
ALAN ARBER drums
Special Guest:
Jason Ricci: harmonica on tracks 2, 3, and 6
Max Abrams: saxophone and Julio Diaz trumpet on track 1
Produced by Tom Hambridge