Technically, I had a few Stratovarius songs (which I liked) before I picked up HammerFall, but it was this Swedish band that opened my heart to power metal, and I have not looked back since. Melodic vocals, chugging riffs, pounding rhythms, fantasy lyrics, and an epic soundscape, this band filled a gap in my soul I didn't know I had, and I've been thankful ever since.
Yes, it's time for another retrospective, this time for the band that turned me into a metalhead. It's also been fun to review all these albums in anticipation of their next album, Avenge the Fallen, which comes out next month. Once again, I'll be going over their studio and live albums in chronological order. Let's get this crusade started!
HammerFall started as a side-project for most of its members, largely playing covers. However, they eventually pulled together some original material and got a record deal, resulting in this debut album. Right from the start, things are fast and pounding, establishing their power metal style: melodic, chunky, and fast. Combining the noodley leads of the likes of Iron Maiden and Helloween with the fantasy grandeur of Dio, the result is immediately iconic. We even get the first appearance of their mascot Hector on the cover, an excellent piece of work by Andreas Marschall.
While these folks certainly had experience writing and playing in their other bands, this is still an impressive debut album. The melodies are hooky, the choruses catchy, the drumming powerful, and the guitars epic. If there are any problems, it's largely in the song-writing. Some pieces don't quite have a solid flow, resulting in an occasional clunky part. Still, there is plenty to enjoy. Stand out tracks include "The Dragon Lies Bleeding," "Steel Meets Steel," "Unchained," and the two covers: Warlord's "Child of the Damned," and Stormwitch's "Ravenlord." As solid of a debut this is, though, they would definitely build from here, improving on their particular style of metal.
This was actually the first album I listened to (I wasn't aware of their release order yet), so this album would be my introduction to power metal, and I'd argue that hearing "Heeding the Call" was a great way to do that. Starting with that opening explosion from Patrik Räfling's drum kit and going into that epic opening riff, there was no going back. I was a fan of power metal. And, as it turns out, the rest of the album is just as great!
When it comes to listening and reviewing power metal, especially the newer releases, this is the album that stands as one of my main points of comparison. Between all the catchy, crunchy riffs, the solid guitar melodies and harmonies, the sing-along choruses, the epic scope and grandeur, it's the well-mixed production that ensure that it's all crystal clear; it's all here, and I love every minute it. It's hard to pick my favorite tracks, honestly, though the opener "Heeding the Call" followed by the title track is an excellent one-two punch. Then they mix it up with the more anthemic "Let the Hammer Fall," before going back to the uptempo material once again, with "Stronger Than All" and "Warriors of Faith" carrying that same energy through the second half.
For what it's worth, I don't think the album is perfect. The ballads "Remember Yesterday" and "The Fallen One" definitely get cheesy, but Joacim Cans sings them with gusto regardless, so they don't drag the album down. Oscar Dronjak does incredible work on guitars, going between riffs, melodies, solos, and back again, all with incredible fluidity and power. Honestly, it's hard to review this album with objectivity, but I'm glad to hear that it still holds up after all these years. Listening to this, I'm smiling all over again!
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Now that the band has successfully established themselves, all they needed to do was carry on. Bringing in drummer Anders Johansson (brother of Jens Johansson of Malmsteen and Stratovarius fame), HammerFall's lineup solidified for the next handful of albums. However, the songs are another solid set of heavy and power metal anthems, starting from the ominous pulsing synths of "Templars of Steel," all the way through the high-speed shredfests to the epic closer.
One new thing this album introduces is the instrumental track. While it's largely a solid finger exercise for Dronjak, "Raise the Hammer" is a good song on its own, and it's a song idea they would bring back many times on later albums, making it a bit of a tradition.
Overall, I don't know if this album is quite as good as Legacy of Kings, though I will admit my nostalgia for their second album is pretty strong. Still, this one has plenty of great tracks, including the opener "Templars of Steel," the energetic title track, the 6/8 stomper "The Way of the Warrior," and "Destined for Glory." "The Legend Reborn" is definitely one of their best anthemic closers. While it may be easy to dismiss this album as more of the same, it's pretty clear they had a good formula going (especially since this album hit number 1 on their charts in their homeland of Sweden!), and one that certainly worked for me in the first phase of my heavy metal journey.
Carrying on with the same lineup, HammerFall bring down another set of power metal. However, I think there is a noticeable uptick in epicness. While they still have their fair share of anthemic stompers and impressive shredding, something about this album feels just that much bigger and broader in scope. This is also the first album with cover art by Samwise Didier, who is best known for working on Blizzard games like the Warcraft series.
I do think the band really has peaked here, as they have perfected their style and concepts. From the anthemic opener "Riders on the Storm" to the lumbering title track, and from the darkness of "The Unforgiving Blade" to the fist-pumping "Hearts on Fire," the band has really stepped up their songwriting here. Their cover songs "Angel of Mercy" and "Rising Force" are highlights as well, fitting right in with the rest.
It's really hard for me to decide whether Legacy of Kings or Crimson Thunder is the band's best album. Again, it's not quite perfect, as "Lords of the Arcane" is basically filler, and "Dreams Come True" is probably the sappiest ballad they've written. Still, everyone here is on point, with Joacim's soaring vocals, the aggressively melodic guitar work of Oscar and Stefan, and the solid rhythm section held down by Magnus and Anders. While Legacy might still be my favorite, thinking as a review, this one might be their most complete and consistent album in their discography.
Live albums are always a bit of a rough sell for me. While it is fun to hear these songs in a live context, HammerFall plays them so close to the originals that it makes this release feel maybe a little redundant. Sure, the crowd noise is fun as they chant the band's name between each song, and occasionally you can hear them sing along to the lyrics, but otherwise, there really isn't anything special here. Even the solo pieces don't feel particularly substantial.
Of course, another way to look at this is to see it as a kind of "Greatest Hits" album, providing some of the band's best tracks from their first four albums, and it just happens to be live. There's also quite a bit of talk between the tracks, but it's all in Swedish, leaving me mostly out of the loop on what's being said (though some can be deduced from sheer knowledge of how rock concerts generally go). It's fun while it's on, and those who prefer the live experience will get a great recording, but I wouldn't consider this a vital release.
With the same lineup as before, they forged ahead with another batch of epic heavy/power metal, this time significantly inspired by the Song of Fire and Ice series of fantasy novels. While it may seem like a retread of what they've done before, this album definitely has its share of excellent songs.
Things begin well with the opener "Secrets," which starts with some epic ambient atmosphere before the riffing comes in, then it's on to some great melodies and solid shredwork. This is followed up with some of my favorite tracks, "Blood Bound" and the incredibly anthemic "Fury of the Wild." Then you get some great chest-pounders with "Hammer of Justice" and "Born to Rule." We also get another instrumental track called "Imperial" that is a classical-inspired acoustic guitar piece, but the big shake up is the closer, which is over 10 minutes long! Things start ominously, with Cronos from Venom joining Joacim for a few verses. From there, it goes into an epic doom metal vibe, though there is a bit of a tempo shift later on. It's not bad, telling a grand story about a prophecy, but I don't really come back to this song very often at all.
Two things I have noticed with this album when listening to it for this retrospective: first is that there aren't as many uptempo power metal songs. It's not a big deal, but they're trend towards more mid-tempo songs seems to start with this album. Second, they don't have as many of the musical digressions that the earlier albums do, where they just rock out on a riff or a melody for a while, instead choosing to have more streamlined song-writing. Of course, these are just nitpicks for what is still a very solid album. While it's not as strong as others, it's a quality continuation of their sound.
Carrying with the same line up for one more album, Threshold is noteworthy mostly for the step up in production. While the previous albums certainly weren't bad, they do sound a little dated, and bands often do what they can to keep up with production techniques, even if they don't change their sound. While this is still the same solid heavy/power epicness, the production really brings out a richness that wasn't there before.
The album starts off with some ominous chanting before diving right into the energetic title track, and that energy continues with "The Fire Burns Forever," "Natural High," and "Genocide." As for the mid-tempo songs, they focus more on story-telling, like "Dark Wings, Dark Words," and the sci-fi themed "Titan," and uptempo instrumental returns with "Reign of the Hammer," which is one of the better songs on the album. While there are a few weaker tracks, the album is otherwise pretty consistent, and ends quite strong with "Reign of the Hammer," "Genocide," and "Titan." (I also think this is the last album that really has a strong power metal feel as they drift further into heavy metal territory.) In any case, this serves as a satisfying end of an era, with the new production elevating the epicness a little more, and setting the tone for future albums.
While including a "greatest hits" compilation may seem strange, there are a handful of new tracks, specifically "The Abyss," "Last Man Standing," "Restless Soul," and a re-recording of "HammerFall," which is given a cheeky "v2.0.07" at the end. "The Abyss" starts as a symphonic opening track that sets an cinematic, if ominous, tone, before getting into some heavy, mid-tempo riffing. "HammerFall v.2.0.07" ends up feeling fresh with the Threshold style of production. "Restless Soul" is a big ballad with lots of symphonic layers and flourishes. However, the big stand out is "Last Man Standing," as it really hits an excellent epic high, going between the somber verses into an epic chorus. It's definitely one of my favorite songs of theirs (though at this point, that's a pretty long list!).
The rest of the album is a very solid selection of songs from their other albums, with a handful of live tracks for good measure. It certainly serves as a great summary of what the band has accomplished so far.
Again, including a compilation may be a bit strange, but this one pulls together the band's cover songs, throwing in a few exclusives for good measure. Overall, it's a pretty fun collection of tracks as they show many of their influences (the cover art also features references to the songs).
Ranging from Kiss and Twisted Sister to Judas Priest and Helloween, there is a decent amount of diversity on this album. I've already mentioned that I like their versions of "Child of the Damned,"Ravenlord," "Angel of Mercy," and "Rising Force." Other highlights include "Head Over Heels" (with Udo himself!), a version of "Breaking the Law" where the members switch places, and great cover of När vindarna viskar mitt namn," which was Sweden's song for Eurovision one year. In the end, it's a fun novelty and makes a good companion album to Steel Meets Steel, as that didn't have any of their covers.
So the band carries on, but with a few lineup changes. Pontus Norgren replaces Stefan Elmgren on guitars and bassist Magnus Rosén leaves so they bring back Fredrik Larsson who played in their first album. They also downtown their guitars to a lower key. Otherwise, this is pretty much business as usual for the band.
Things start off well with "Any Means Necessary," a powerful, anthemic track that only HammerFall can pull off. The title track is also solid, along with "Bring the Hammer Down" and "Legion." However, there are a few tracks that feel less inspired, like "Life Is Now" sounding like a sappy motivational poster, and "Between Two Worlds" being a weak ballad. The cover of "My Sharona" is also a little weird. However, it does feature quite a long instrumental track in "Something for the Ages," and "One of a Kind" is a good, energetic closer.
At this point, the band really does settle into their modern sound. While it may not have changed much from the beginning, the emphasis on anthemic songs really takes over, and they don't have the high-speed power metal as much. I don't think the band has gone down the tubes, as they have continued to put out good music. However, it is at around this point, they stopped being as vital or exciting to me as they used to be.
And this album cover certainly wasn't helping. Just looking at it, you would think they went through some jarring tonal shift, but surprisingly, this album is much in line with everything else they've done, if maybe a bit darker, and surprisingly has aged well.
The album starts off with some medical ambience before going into "Patient Zero," a mid-tempo stomper before hitting power metal speeds towards the end, all in tone with the horror-themed album cover, and it wasn't the only one on the album. I remember the video being full of zombies, as well, but I have to admit, even by 2011, I was pretty tired of seeing zombies in everything. Fortunately, the rest of the album doesn't stay there, providing some pretty good anthemic numbers with "B.Y.H." and "Let's Get It On." Other highlights include "One More Time," a neat, empowering stomper with a 6/8 swing; "Dia De Los Muertos" is sorta horror themed, but has plenty of energy; and "The Outlaw" as another cheesy-but-fun story song about a loner.
Coming back to this album, I'm surprised by how much I'm liking it. I was much harsher to it when I first heard it back when it came out. While it's not a perfect album, it has a good range of the stuff I like about this band: both uptempo shred fests and anthemic stompers (no cool instrumental, though). They tried a few things, some of which worked, but overall, this might be the dark horse of the discography.
Once again, a live album by HammerFall which doesn't feel particularly substantial. While the crowd noise is fun, as usual, there are some moments of intended crowd participation that seem weirdly quiet, making those moments feel a little awkward. Still, the songs are well performed, and there are a few fun guest appearances, so at least there is some novelty. The new songs weave well with the old classics and the Greatest Hits vibe is felt once again. It's certainly not a bad release, but it's hardly an essential listen, unless you're a diehard fan, in which case, you've probably already bought it.
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Now that Hector is back on the cover (bring back Andreas Marschall for this one), it definitely feels something like a comeback for the band. They even wrote a hymn for Hector as the opener, and it remains a very fun song that reflects on their history. However, it's hard not to feel like this is just a pedestrian album for them, as not much stands out from it. I think this might be my least favorite album from them.
That's not to say that it's bad. It's full of all the HammerFall staples: good energy, solid guitar riffs solos, epic lyrics, catchy choruses, and decent variety in tempos from fast to mid-tempo to ballad. I do like the songs here, but I can't seem to shake the feeling that I've heard them do these thing better on other albums. The only real highlights for me are the aforementioned "Hector's Hymn" and "Origins," which feels like a throwback to their earlier albums, with the neo-classical touches. Still they've generally had a pretty consistent track record for quality, and this one meets that standard, if not much more.
So Anders Johansson leaves, after many years of good drumming, and David Wallin comes in to replace him. However, the sound feels as classic as ever. I actually reviewed this album a few years ago, and back then, I thought this album was an improvement over (r)Evolution. Upon relistening it for this retrospective, my opinion feels the same, as they really brought back some of the classic energy on this one.
Last time, I mentioned that "Bring It!", "The Sacred Vow," "Dethrone and Defy," "Stormbreaker," and "New Breed," were the stand out tracks, and this remains the same. This time around, "Hammer High" and "Built to Last" stood out as well. Overall, there is an uptick in energy, noodly guitars, and high-speed double-kicking power metal, making me think of Legacy of Kings or Renegade, and I have to admit it was good to hear again. It's not perfect, but it is certainly stronger than the previous ones, perhaps their best since Threshold.
Carrying on with the same lineup (even up to this day) and Samwise back for the cover art, HammerFall puts out another slab of heavy/power metal. When I reviewed it before, I found it to be a bit of a mixed bag. Listening to it again, I confirm pretty much everything I said: the Judas Priest vibes, the lyrics being a bit all-over-the-place, the solid guitarwork as usual, and the tracks "(We Make) Sweden Rock" and "Scars of a Generation" being the highlights. One thing I didn't point out was how weird the instrumental track was, being under a minute long and featuring just some noodling that fades in and then stops for the next track. I do think the second listen did warm me up to these songs, though.
I know it may seem condescending to say that this is "business as usual" for HammerFall just because they're consistent in quality. However, I can't help but shake the feeling that the band is in cruise control at this point. They have their sound, their fans are satisfied, and they carry on. They haven't dropped the ball with this album, by any means, though, as I enjoy this one as much as any of the others.
I feel tempted to just copy-paste what I've said about their other two live albums. More tight performances over crowd noise and the occasional sing-a-long. I will admit I find the setlist for this one interesting, having a song from each of their albums up to this point, which is not a few. I imagine it would be tough for this band to decide what to play for each tour, as they have a solid library of songs that would sound good live. One curious highlight of the setlist is the "Renegade Medley," which blends various hooks, riffs, solos, and choruses from the album together. They also bring in Battle Beast singer Noora Louhimo for the ballad "Second to One," turning it into a duet. Another factor is that the in-between banter is in English this time, and has a lot of profanity (which I find jarring for a band that generally doesn't swear in their songs). Once again, the live release doesn't add much to the discography. However, for fans, it's a decent collection of live songs drawing from their entire career.
Twelve albums in, and the formula feels almost cozy at this point. I reviewed this one when it came out, and I found it to be an improvement over Dominion, with songs like "Brotherhood," "Live Free or Die," and "No Mercy" calling back to their more classic style. I still can't hear King Diamond on "Venerate Me" though.
Listening to it again, I'm liking it more than I expected. It's probably as good as Built to Last, as it has more than a few touches of the old HammerFall, particularly the energy and speed. With the modern production, it makes the band feel more alive than they were on Dominion. The title track in particular really stood out to me this time, being a solid, galloping piece of anthemic metal. "Not Today" hasn't grown on me, though. Definitely an odd track from them. Still, it's another solid album from a band that seems to be aging well. While they've settled into their own niche, I don't think this album shows any signs of concern for their future.
So that's another band retrospective down and done! I know these articles are on the longer side, but I do enjoy doing them. Like I said at the start, this band is massively influential to me and my love of metal. If it weren't for them kicking me through the door, I probably wouldn't be writing this blog now. I know through this article, I kept harping on how much better they were in the beginning, but it really is something that I think about with each album they put out, and it won't be any different for Avenge the Fallen. I hope that they build on what they did for Hammer of Dawn, and get back to being more power metal oriented, but if they do another chunk of solid, mid-tempo anthems, I certainly won't complain.
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