Metal Reviews

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I think this band in general sums up everything I loathe about power-metal. Not that I don't like the genre, there's some great bands in there, Hammerfall however is not one of them. Joacim Cans has one of the worst voices in metal in my opinion, and the fact that they're from Sweden doesn't make it any better, since they show up on tv occasionally.. usually on corny, childish tv-shows too.

I haven't listened to this album in particular, but since they seem to refuse to make any changes in their sound whatsoever, I don't see why I should. There's a fine line between consistency and utter boredom when it comes to being unable to change your sound, and I think Hammerfall crossed this line ages ago.

Sums up my own feelings prefectly

Save your money and listen to their last couple albums since they sound exactly like this one, or get the new Dream Evil instead.

I was very disappointed, not to mention bored with this one.

Don't know why I keep buying their cds compared to bands like Mystic Prophecy and Elvenking with great releases this year this is pretty average. Natural High isn't a bad single and Genocide is a great song probably their best in ages but overall I would rather have bought an ep with these two on it.

I've tried likiing this album (I don't mind how Hammerfall does nothing new), but there really are not that many catchy moments on this album

And not even many good headbanging parts. There was such praise for this album (from the leaked copy), I just don't hear it. Rebel is the best song IMO.

Hmph, I heard this at a friend's house last week and wasn't impressed. They are like DragonForce in the sense that they throw in one or two new things and try and pass it off as expanding their sound. A few distinct moments apart (some of Natural High, a few other songs I can't remember) its just more of the same. More of the exact same - identical riffs and vocal melodies. Its telling that the best song is the instrumental that was written 10 years ago.

As far as where they can go from here, how about some more hymn-like or anthem-like choruses, rather than the 80s-style Judas Priest choruses? I'm not sure Hammerfall is even power metal anymore so much as they are 80s-style metal these days.

Or maybe do something similar to what Heavenly did on Dust to Dust. Just go all-out heavy as hell on a concept album.

For those of you into American Football, Hammerfall is reminding me of coach Dennis Green earlier this year:

THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!!!

LOL.. i have been saying that ever since
funny stuff.
If you wanted to get rich. Print up some t-shirts showing the score of the game on the front with the two helmets and on the back put
"the Bears are who we thought they were"
and go to the Cards and the Bears stadium and watch the t-shirts sell like hotcakes
I just dont have time to do it and lack motivation, but somebody out to

I like Hammerfall just the way they are. Playing simple fun metal and not trying to blow anyone's mind away. Great stuff to put in when your buddies come to visit you and you wanna just shoot some pool, drink beer and listen to fun heavy metal. 80/100 for me.

Hammerfall is better then Dragonforce.......but.........that said, 1 or 2 of their albums is all you need and that is the first 2.

Why even compare the two? That's like me saying Maiden is better than Trivium. They are two completely different bands that sound completely different.

Yeah...that wasn't my point in bringing up DragonForce at all.

I'm not even going to comment on how bad I know this album is.

this album rocks.

I like oranges better then apples even though they are to separate fruits........get it?

Well then you should have said that you like them better from the beginning and not that oranges are better than apples. I personally don't know which is better but I believe oranges are healthier than apples...Don't know which band is healthier though!

I read an interview a while ago where they said that they don't even want to change. The changes that can be heard are mostly due to the becoming better with their instruments and Joacim in the vocals.
Yes it gets boring but they're still usually making pretty solid material. Renegade and Glory To The Brave would be my picks. The rest is nice but doesn't really get through in the same way.

I really like Hammerfall, I enjoy listening to their albums, In some way it brings up the "stupid gay happy boy" in me, which sincerely I don´t know if it´s good or bad, but what the hell I like it.
I haven´t heard this new album yet, but I know exactly what to expect. Hammerfall are one of those bands that exist in all genres, bands that are vowed to never change claiming they will never betray their fans, in Thrash metal we have Slayer who might have fucked up a bit with their latest albums but whatever, in Death metal there are many, most famous Cannibal Corpse, in Rock we have Ac/Dc who sound exactly the same on every album, and in Power/True Metal there is Hammerfall.
Lyrics always the same, the words "steel" and "templars" on every goddamned song, the same freaking guitar riffs on every album, the same vocal melodies (I really like Joacim Cans, sue me) yet still, there is one very primitive thought: If you like the riff, then why would you not like the next riff that sounds just like it?
I respect hammerfall because I think the world needs these type of bands to exist, although Thank god this is a minority of bands, because most bands definitely need to evolve (Fuck In Flames, that is not evolution, Listen to Dark Tranquility and learn a lesson in band evolution you bastards)