Artist: Hammerfall
Title: Hammer of Dawn
Genre: Heavy Metal
Release Date: 25th February 2022
Label: Napalm Records
Album Review
If you like Swedish Heavy Metal, you should check out ‘Hammer of Dawn’ that was released February 25th by HAMMERFALL via Napalm Records. The band’s 12th release starts with ‘Brotherhood’, a Metal track that comes with everything that makes a great Heavy Metal song. Heavy riffing, pushing drums, epic vocals and a chorus that is so intriguing that you will sing along as soon as it occurs. The album’s title track follows suit; ‘Hammer of Dawn’ comes with an epic melody offering singer Joacim Cans the chance to show his wide range of vocals, a stomping rhythm that is one for the headbangers and very melodic lyric parts. The chorus part invites the crowd to perform it and the song will be the highlight of the bands upcoming live shows for sure. Pay attention to the excellent guitar solo and make sure, that you have your air-guitar ready.
Those who love straightforward Metal songs will fall for ‘No Son Of Odin’ that starts with a slow and dramatic intro to lead over into a high tempo lead-vocal parts that are interrupted by short midtempo chorus parts just to pick up speed again. “I am strong, I am brave…” will be on your mind immediately and the song clearly aims at the crowds at HAMMERFALL’s live shows, the song is probe to become a classic among fans, soon. Fans of True Metal will enjoy ‘Venerate Me’. The song kicks off with a short melodic riff to lead over into true and heavy riffing; the quite high-pitched leading vocals are a pleasure listening to and here HAMMERFALL show that they are masters of the genre, inviting KING DIAMOND as a guest was quite clever and it adds a fantastic heaviness to the track.
‘Reveries’ starts with a chorus intro, a welcome change to the otherwise guitar prone openings, dark and heavy riffing takes over for a moment, just to move to the background, when the slow and melodic leading vocals take over. The mid-tempo song comes with very melodic elements and will see the fans performing the chorus parts for sure. After all the “Na, Na, Nananana”, the next track requires significantly more headbanging and fist raising from the fans. ‘Too Old To Die Young’ comes with wonderful melodic and very intriguing riffing, one of HAMMERFALL’s trademark. Beware that the chorus is a catchy one and will be on your mind for a while. The interaction between guitars, bass and drums during the bridge part is just amazing and the guitar solo quite outstanding.
A HAMMERFALL album without a ballade won’t be a HAMMERFALL album and so, ‘Not Today’ made it on this album. The song is of course slower than the previous ones, but not so slow that you might chose this as an occasion to get another drink during a live show. Reduced guitars carry the melody, the drums make sure that there is still some Metal heaviness in this song, though the chorus part is almost Pop prone and a bit too kitschy. A song nice listening to, but nothing special and far from the great ballades of the genre. ‘Live Free Or Die’ will wake you up from the ballade’s cosiness; this solid Metal sing will make sure, you will raise your fists to ‘Live Free Or Die’.
The intro of ‘State of The W.I.L.D.’ is quite a contrast to the other intros on the record as it comes with normal clear singing vocals and an acoustic guitar to be interrupted by heavy electric guitar riffing and a switch to the high-pitched vocals you are used to from HAMMERFALL. The band sees you off with ‘No Mercy’ that comes with a full force and full speed intro, hard and edgy guitarwork and a good mix of leading vocal and guitar parts and a short but extremely good guitar solo. Definitely the perfect closing song for a HAMMERFALL show as the chorus part is perfect for the interaction between the band and the crowd down in the pit, a song that will concert halls all over Europe.
The album is perfect for fans of Melodic, True and Heavy Metal with a perfect mix of all the styles HAMMERFALL mixed over the years to create their own sound. No really new ground-breaking songs, no real surprises but an album from the band to their fans. This is an album deserving the listeners attention from start to end and by making this album with a flawless production and the bands classic DNA, HAMMERFALL prove that they are far from retiring from the big stages of the Metal world.
Tracklist
01. Brotherhood
02. Hammer Of Dawn
03. No Son Of Odin
04. Venerate Me
05. Reveries
06. Too Old To Die Young
07. Not Today
08. Live Free Or Die
09. State of The W.I.L.D.
10. No Mercy
Line-up
Joacim Cans – Vocals
Oscar Dronjak – Guitar
Pontus Norgren – Guitar
Fredrik Larsson – Bass
David Wallin – Drums
Website
https://www.hammerfall.net / https://www.facebook.com/hammerfall
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 9
Total: 9 / 10
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