HammerFall's 'Hammer of Dawn' - Album Review

Despite having a bit of an identity crisis at the beginning of the 2010s which resulted in 2011's Infected (which I happen to like quite a lot) and a brief hiatus, Sweden's HammerFall have long been one of the poster children of modern power metal. The band's first two albums, 1997's Glory to the Brave and 1998's Legacy of Kings, were very important milestones in the power metal genre. Whilst the genre was not exactly dead throughout the 1990s, it was certainly playing second fiddle to other, heavier, metal subgenres - so much so that even the power metal bands that found success were generally at the heavier end of the spectrum (e.g. Helloween and Blind Guardian). HammerFall came along and reminded everyone that metal could be fun and upbeat again, while still retaining enough of an Accept-esque crunch to please those who like their music to have some weight. I think that most would agree that the band's early work is their best, but for me HammerFall have generally been remarkably consistent. Similar to the aforementioned Accept, you generally know what you are going to get when a new HammerFall album drops. The band's up-tempo, anthemic power metal has remained largely intact since the beginning - with only the darker Infected taking something of a different path. Even Infected, however, still largely sounded like HammerFall - but its experimentation led to quite a lot of criticism, so much so that many would probably list it as their least favourite of the band's albums. I like Infected quite a lot, however, and for me the band's weakest album is 2016's Built to Last (which I reviewed here).Whilst not exactly different from anything else that the band has done, Built to Last just sounded uninspired. It did not help that it followed 2014's (r)Evolution (which I also reviewed here), a strong release that saw the band feeling fired up once again following their brief aforementioned hiatus. Luckily, however, Built to Last was a temporary blip - as the band followed it up in 2019 with the strong Dominion (which, again, I reviewed here). Dominion is certainly no classic, but it is textbook HammerFall. A number of the album's song's became live staples on the band's 2019 and 2020 tours - and it is likely that some of these anthems are likely to remain live favourites going forward thanks to their hooky nature. HammerFall do not tend tend to leave it too long between albums and last month they released their twelfth studio album Hammer of Dawn - which has proven to be another solid entry in the band's catalogue. For me it is not quite as strong as Dominion, but there is still plenty to enjoy here - and the whole album has a snappiness to it that means that it really flies by. It seems that band really sought to cut away all of the fat this time, and the result is very enjoyable.

The album kicks off with one of its singles, Brotherhood, an anthemic track that certainly sums up exactly where the band are in 2022. The song's main riff is mid-paced and packed full of crunch, while drummer David Wallin (on this third album with the band) works his way around the kit. The main riff is deceivingly mid-paced, however, as the song itself feels much more up-tempo. The guitars of Oscar Dronjak and Pontus Norgren lay down a machine gun rhythm, while frontman Joacim Cans sings atop them in his usual smooth manner. Cans' voice has lost nothing of its unique tone over the years, and his performance throughout the album is as good as ever. He always manages to come up with memorable (if simple) vocal hooks, too, and Brotherhood is as memorable as it is thanks to his efforts. The riffing is not as memorable as many of the band's songs of the past - so this is a track that relies very much on its pace and Cans' excellent vocal performance. The chorus is very memorable, with a mid-paced anthemic rhythm, and there are also sections that feature wordless choral vocals - which will no doubt go down well live on the band's upcoming tour. Lead single Hammer of Dawn follows, and it opens in a slower fashion with some melodic strings that are a little on the grand side. The song's opening works well, however, and the vibe does not last for too long - as soon a staccato, fist-pumping main riff kicks in. This riff very much channels Accept, and the chanted chorus vocals also bring that band to mind. It is a chorus that is certainly designed to be played live, with a crowd singing the fist-pumping melodies back at the band, but there is still a smoothness to the rest of the track - with Cans' vocal style during the verses taking a brighter path. The song's solo is on the busier side, and actually takes a couple of little melodic deviations which are not expected. It starts out fairly predictably, but some of the note choices are somewhat different from the norm - and it helps the song to remain memorable as a result. No Son of Odin takes a heavier path. The song opens somewhat slowly, with a soaring guitar lead and stop-start power chords, but soon gets going thanks to a flurry of drums and the introduction of a snappy riff. This riff forms the basis of the song's verses, and it has something of an old-school vibe - similar to the sort of riffs that Jesper Strömblad used to write with the band. Listening to the song takes me back to the band's first few albums, and the overall heaviness of the piece also reminds me of the band's early era. They are generally not quite as heavy these days, but No Son of Odin turns the clock back - and is complete with another excellent chorus which slows things down and introduces some excellent vocal melodies that keep me coming back.

Venerate Me opens with a creepy guitar lead, which soon morphs into another crunching verse. The song very much sounds like HammerFall, but it has something of a spooky vibe throughout thanks to some of the guitar melodies. The addition of King Diamond (Mercyful Fate) on guest vocals helps to amplify this vibe - although HammerFall have not suddenly become Mercyful Fate here. Diamond's contributions are relatively small, as he largely just harmonises with Cans (in his usual over the top manner), and the soaring chorus is very much out of HammerFall's go-to handbook. There are little hints of spookiness here and there though. Diamond's occasional vocals add his typical edge to the song, while the aforementioned guitar melodies and harmonies spice things up somewhat - and ensure that the song is a bit different from the norm while still sounding very much like HammerFall. Reveries continues the slightly spooky vibes, but is this is largely just achieved by slowing things down somewhat during the song's verses. Venerate Me is spookier, but Reveries helps to keep the vibe going somewhat with a darker tone and a relatively slow pace. This is only really evident early on, however, as the song builds over time - and the additional instrumentation detracts from the creepy vibe and instead moves the song closer to the band's core sound. This still works well, however, as there are plenty of hooks here - including some great wordless vocal sections that are sure to go down well live. Too Old to Die Young picks up the pace again, and very much returns to HammerFall's core sound after a couple of minor deviations. The opening twin-guitar lead is very much out of the Iron Maiden playbook, while the focus throughout is definitely on bright, catchy vocal melodies. Sometimes HammerFall can turn people off due to their overly upbeat approach, and Too Old to Die Young falls into that category. Cans' voice is very much the focus throughout, and some of his melodies are extremely heroic-sounding - with a few very high-pitched moments. Despite this, however, the song is still very much a strong power metal anthem. The overly upbeat side of the band has never really bothered me, as HammerFall always have the hooks to pull that sound off - and Too Old to Die Young has a good mix of crunchy pace and soaring melodies to make it work. Not Today takes more of a ballad-esque approach. The opening is slow, with guitar arpeggios that Cans croons over in his usual smooth style. HammerFall have written a number of ballads over the years. They have written more memorable ones than Not Today, but the slower song still works well in the context of the album. The hooks are not as strong for me, however, and it lacks the killer chorus that ballads need to really shine. It is not as atmospheric as it could be, either, but the guitar playing throughout is great - with an excellent two-part solo coming towards the end of the piece which is packed full of emotional playing.

Following the respite provided by Not Today, Live Free or Die gives the album a bit of a kick in the backside. It reminds me somewhat of No Son of Odin, with a heavier energy throughout - which again recalls some of the band's earlier albums due to its pace and crunch. It is one of the heaviest cuts here, and it brings the best out of Wallin - as there is plenty of opportunity for him to impress with some fast footwork and a few interesting drum fills. A dual-guitar solo packs plenty of melody into the piece, and another soaring chorus allows Cans to come up with yet more catchy vocal melodies. The song is very much classic HammerFall, but the melodies and the infectious riffing make it stand out - with the excellent duelling solo pulling everything together. State of the W.I.L.D. is similar, and the pace conjured up throughout Live Free or Die is maintained here. The overall crunch is reduced a little, but the song still manages to whip up a lot of energy - and inject some of the upbeat melodies that the band is known for. Cans really shines here, but the band's two guitarists also ensure that they are heard with a few little melodies throughout the song - as well as another excellent, shredded solo. The best part about the song for me though is its chorus, which is certainly made for being played live. The song might not be a career highlight, but it contains a winner of a chorus - which showcases Cans' impressive vocal range and melodic turn of phrase. The album comes to a close with No Mercy, another fast-paced track that continues on the vibe of the previous two songs. The heaviness of Live Free or Die is re-introduced this time, however, and the song has plenty of Acceptisms throughout - with a fist-pumping chorus and a snappy riff recalling the work of the German band. The song is very typical of what has come throughout the rest of the album, but it still works well as an album closer thanks to its emphasis on crunchy riffing. This is not a song that feels overly upbeat, with the riffing and gang vocals helping to ground the piece somewhat. As such, it offers one last opportunity to rock out with the band - who have injected every last piece of energy into the song, as it really steams along with very little let up. In truth, though, much of the album has that vibe. Hammer of Dawn is very much an up-tempo album, with a few changes of pace thrown in here and there to keep things interesting. It also seems to be an album where the band's core sound has been focused on more than ever, and for me it really flies by thanks to the snappiness of its delivery. HammerFall have done better albums, but Hammer of Dawn is another strong one - and the band's fans are sure to enjoy it.

The album was released on 25th February 2022 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Brotherhood.