After quitting the death metal act Ceremonial Oath in 1993, just after recording their debut album, guitarist Oscar Dronjak formed HammerFall together with Ceremonial Oath's ex-bass-player, now drummer, Jesper Strömblad. Jesper and Oscar decided that HammerFall had to be forwarded on a project level, since both wanted to keep on with their other bands, respectively In Flames and Crystal Age (another death metal act Oscar had joined recently). They enlisted the help of fellow metalers Niklas Sundin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) of Dark Tranquillity, and Johan Larsson (bass guitar). Johan soon left, and was replaced by Glenn Ljungström (In Flames). Then Niklas left and Glenn assumed the position of guitarist, whilst Fredrik Larsson (Crystal Age) became the new bass-player. Fast forward to 1996. Vocalist Mikael was replaced by Joacim Cans (Highlander, Mrs.Hippie). A two-track live performance was recorded and sent on video tape to Roel van Reijmersdal of the Dutch label Vic Records (who released Crystal Age's only album in 1995). He marveled over its contents and immediately offered HammerFall a deal. Consequently, the summer and fall of this year, was spent writing, rehearsing and perfecting the soon-to-be debut album, already entitled "Glory To The Brave". In January 1997, Oscar and Joacim decided that, in order to be able to give HammerFall no less than 100 %, a few line-up changes were necessary. Jesper and Glenn decided to continue full time with In Flames, and they were replaced by Patrik Räfling (Megaslaughter) and Stefan Elmgren, both members of Joacim's previous band Highlander (soon to become Lost Horizon). Oscar and Fredrik's Crystal Age had ceased to exist a long time ago, but Fredrik also had another commitment: the thrash metal group Beyond, now called None. He decided to stick around long enough for HammerFall to find a replacement. Shortly thereafter, the German label Nuclear Blast approached Vic Records and HammerFall, showing great interest, and finally signing them. 1997 saw the HammerFall line-up completed, when Magnus Rosén joined on bass guitar. He is most famous for his work with Billionaires Boys Club and Keegan. In more recent years, Patrick Räfling have been replaced with Anders Johansson (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen). In 2007 Magnus left the band, and was replaced by Fredrik Larson (ex-Evergrey). Stefan Elmgren left the following year, and was replaced by Pontus Norgren (The Poodles).

"A METAL HEART IS HARD TO TEAR APART"

GLORY TO THE BRAVE (1997) NUCLEAR BLAST

"What's all the fuss about?", was my first reaction upon listening to this album. This was Nuclear Blast's biggest selling band at the time, and all the metal magazines praised this new band. Of course it all came clear to me when I listened to the now classic album again and again. HammerFall set out to create music that they love and grew up with. In 1997 being a lover of classic metal was laughed upon. The metal scene had been pushed back to an almost obscure underground movement again, and only the more aggressive styles, such as death metal and especially black metal, were getting all the press. But luckily Nuclear Blast saw the potential in this band, and especially one of the employees there put a lot of faith in the boys. The result is truly one of the best albums to come out in the 90's. Actually it's one of the best metal albums ever, and for a debut-album, it's INCREDIBLE! 'Glory To The Brave' ended up, nearly single-handedly, reviving the classic metal scene, and helped spawn what we today call power metal (not to be confused with the US power metal scene). What I think the boys did so well was to capture that metal spirit. They showed the love that we all share for heavy metal, and didn't want to be modern, stay current or even compromise in any way, shape or form. But rather they played the music they love, dressed like their heroes from the 80's, and they did it without the militant, overtly serious overtone. They knew they were cheesy, but they didn't try to hide it, they embraced it! And for that they will always have my respect. Oh, and one cannot  overlook the fact that the songs they wrote are all great too! "Child Of The Damned" is a Warlord cover. You haven't heard 'Glory To The Brave' yet? Well, what are you waiting for. A MUST!!!

My copy is signed by Jesper Strömblad.

Killer tracks: Metal Age, I Believe, Steel Meets Steel, Stone Cold

GLORY TO THE BRAVE (1997) NUCLEAR BLAST (EP)

Picked this one up in a record store in Germany. More of a collectors-item than a must, but HammerFall always includes songs that does not appear on the album. This time it's the cover of Stormwitch's "Ravenlord".

HEEDING THE CALL (1998) NUCLEAR BLAST (EP)

Another EP released as a teaser before HammerFall's second album. "Eternal Dark" is the non-album track, and it's a cover of a Picture song. The live-tracks are really cool as well. My EP is signed by Joacim Cans

LEGACY OF KINGS (1998) NUCLEAR BLAST

Second album from Sweden's finest, and a good follow-up indeed. I don't like it as much as the first, and it is the HammerFall album I listen the least to, but that don't make it a bad album at all. Solid heavy metal, firmly rooted in the 1980's! HammerFall are now a band you can count on to deliver the goods! Great melodies combined with no holds barred heavy metal! "Back To Back" is a Pretty Maids cover.

Killer tracks: Legacy Of Kings, Let The Hammer Fall, Dreamland, Stronger Than All, Heeding The Call

I WANT OUT (1999) NUCLEAR BLAST (EP)

Released to coincide with a couple of tribute discs HammerFall appeared on. "I Want Out" is a Helloween track, and Kai Hansen (ex-Helloween/Gamma Ray) guests on it. "Man On The Silver Mountain" is a Rainbow classic from when Dio was their vocalist. This song also appears on the 'Holy Dio' tribute album.

RENEGADE (2000) NUCLEAR BLAST (EP)

Pre-album EP-release, with 2 cover-tracks. "Head Over Heels" is an Accept cover, and "Run With The Devil" was originally recorded by HeavyLoad. 'Renegade' was on the Swedish hit-charts. This is also the debut of new drummer, Anders Johansson.

RENEGADE (2000) NUCLEAR BLAST

Now, what? Recording a heavy metal album in the land of country & western music, Nashville!?! At first this record seemed week. The production just didn't cut it for me. But after a few spins (read: 15), it came clear to me that this was classic HammerFall stuff. Maybe the strongest songwriting so far. Hope they find a better sound for their next record though.

Killer tracks: Renegade, Always Will Be, The Way Of The Warrior, The Champion

ALWAYS WILL BE (2001) NUCLEAR BLAST (EP)

Bought this as a 2 song paper-cover edition in Gothenburg, before it was released anywhere else. But when I found out that this 4 track single existed, the hunt was on. Wound up buying it from Amazon.de. This single climbed the charts in Sweden, and put HammerFall on a more commercial map. "Breaking The Law" is a Judas Priest cover, which HammerFall have been playing live for years. Here they mix up the line-up, most notably featuring Oscar on lead vocals.

HEARTS ON FIRE (2002) NUCLEAR BLAST (EP)

Hearts On Fire We're Gonna Make It Heeding The Call (live) CD-ROM feature

HammerFall is the only band I own all the singles from. The reason is of course the non-album tracks that has appeared on them all. On this one you get the Twisted Sister cover, "We're Gonna Make It". Unfortunately it's the weakest cover-track HammerFall have done. And the new track is also disappointing. Are the Swedes showing signs of weary?

CRIMSON THUNDER (2002) NUCLEAR BLAST

My fears after hearing the first single were blown to bits after the first listen to this disc! HammerFall are still as good as ever, and their 4th album doesn't stand back to anything else these Swedes have delivered in the past. It might not be as exciting as it used to, but they are still a good metal band. The formula is still the same: a large chunk of Accept mixed with just about all the other 80's metal band, and you get HammerFall. It seems that they are a little more heavier on 'Crimson Thunder'. And I also find this to be their most diverse album to date. I only wish that Joacim could find a way to tone down the higher notes a bit. He sounds way better when he's not trying to break a glass with his voice all the time. But if you are a fan, this is a safe buy! "Angel Of Mercy" is a Chastain cover-tune. On this European digi-pack you also get the Yngwie Malmsteen cover, "Rising Force". But I've learned that the US version includes the KISS cover "Detroit Rock City" instead! Aaaargghhhh, why do these bands to this to their fans! Now I need to get that one as well.

Killer tracks: Riders Of The Storm, Crimson Thunder, Trailblazers, The Unforgivable Blade

ONE CRIMSON NIGHT (2003) NUCLEAR BLAST

HammerFall are a band I've seen in concert many times. Thus I know pretty much what to expect from them in a live setting. Still this double CD kind of took me by surprise. First of all, it just sounds great! The sound is crisp and clear, and you also hear the crowd interact (maybe not as much as I prefer thought, but still). And it doesn't seem to be too many overdubs here, as you can hear some mistakes here and there. It took about 3 seconds before it had me singing along and banging my head. The only real downer here are the fact that all the in between talk is in Swedish! Why on earth even include it then? HammerFall enjoy worldwide success, so when they decided to record it in Gothenburg, they should have edited out all the talking. I have personally have never been a fan of the guitar- and bass-solo stuff either. But other than that, you get to enjoy crowd-pleasers as "Stone Cold", "The Way Of The Warrior", "Steel Meets Steel" and "Hearts On Fire"! 'One Crimson Night' will go down as one of my favorite live albums of all time.

BLOOD BOUND (2005) NUCLEAR BLAST (CD-single)

First single from the upcoming new HammerFall album offers NOTHING worth writing about. 2 versions of the title-track, and one live version of a classic song! Man, this is starting to smell money-making effort, rather than collectors item. This band always gave us good stuff on their non-album releases. Guess Nuclear Blast put a stop to that as of now.

CHAPTER V: UNBENT, UNBOWED, UNBROKEN (2005) NUCLEAR BLAST

HammerFall quickly became a band I bought every release from, and preferably on the day of the release. And so was the case with this new album too. You know what you get when you put on a HammerFall release. Unfortunately it seems that no band can continue to deliver exciting releases time after time, over and over, without ever failing. And to me, this is one of those albums that doesn't really grab me the way I'd like it too. Not that it is a total failure, as it contains some really strong tunes. It's just that it also contains some really stinkers. I mean, "Fury Of The Wild" and "Born To Rule" are not good songs. I do love "Blood Bound", "The Templar Flame" and "Take The Black" though. And I think "Knights Of The 21st Century" will eventually grow on me too, with the addition of one Cronos as guest growler/screamer. "Chapter V...." is the bands most diverse album. It doesn't sound as heavy as their previous efforts, but it it is still 80's metal to the bone! I've read an interview where Oscar and Joacim tells that they had to scratch some tunes because they were not happy with the outcome of them, as they did not get that good feeling they usually do when they write new songs. And this might be the problem the entire album suffers from. Maybe the band was not that into it when they recorded it?

Killer tracks: Blood Bound, Hammer Of Justice, The Templar Flame, Take The Black

THRESHOLD (2006) NUCLEAR BLAST (Limited Edition)

HammerFall were, to me and thousands of others, the band that brought back metal in the late 90's. So it's weird to me that there exists this sort of hate campaign against them amongst so many metalheads today. So although I found their last album to be a bit below par for Joacim, Oscar and company, I still say that they have released an impressive string of quality metal. So why do the people that hailed them as "saviors" back then feel that they have to rag on them now? They are still delivering the same kind of music, with the same kind of love and passion as then! They have just grown more popular outside of the metal scene. They are just making more money from it, and they are just branching out a bit wider, getting their name out there to people who most likely would not have given them the time of they, if they hadn't showed up in their territory (yes, I'm talking about the sports events they have lent their music and videos to). Oh well, rant aside. HammerFall are once again upon us doing what they do best. And that is to church out some quality heavy metal! 'Threshold' is the newborns name, and as it often turns out, she is very similar to her siblings. Here you get the classic metal anthems ("The Fire Burns Forever" and "Rebel Inside"), the obligatory ballad ("Dark Wings, Dark Words") the instrumental track, with Hammer in the title (Reign Of The Hammer") and everything in between. The production suits the music, and this time it seems that Joacim have tried to modify his use of the higher register of his voice. The conclusion must be that the most popular Swedish metal band have once again delivered the goods!

Killer tracks: The Fire Burns Forever, Natural High, Dark Wings, Dark Words, Shadow Empire, Reign Of The Hammer

HammerFall anno 2007

STEEL MEETS STEEL - TEN YEARS OF GLORY (2007) NUCLEAR BLAST (Limited Deluxe Edition) (2CD)

CD 1: The Abyss - intro Last Man Standing Hammerfall v.2.0.07 The Dragon Lies Bleeding Steel Meets Steel Glory To The Brave Heeding The Call At The End Of The Rainbow Legacy Of Kings Let The Hammer Fall - live Templars Of Steel Renegade Always Will Be (acoustic version) Keep The Flame Burning Riders Of The Storm
CD 2: Hearts On Fire Crimson Thunder Hero's Return Blood Bound Secrets Fury Of The Wild Never, Ever Threshold Natural High Dark Wings, Dark Words The Fire Burns Forever Restless Soul The Metal Age - live (bonus track) Stone Cold - live (bonus track) Hammerfall v.2.0.07 (Rough mix version) (video) (bonus track)

10 years on duty for heavy metal should of course be significantly marked. And HammerFall does it by releasing this double best-of compilation. I bought the deluxe limited edition, with a nice embossed digipak cover, where the booklet is glued to the inside of the fold-out part of the cover. This also marks the start of a new line-up for HammerFall, with the returning Fredrik Larsson taking over the bass-duties after Magnus left. Fredrik also play on the 3 "new" tracks presented here. I write "new", because only "Last Man Standing" and "Restless Soul" are new, while "Hammerfall v.2.0.07" is of course a new recorded version of the bands self titled classic. These 2 new songs shows a band journeying into a more epic sound. "Last Man Standing" is a standard metal tune, albeit a bit "slower" in pace than usual. "Restless Soul" is a power ballad, complete with orchestration and all! VERY good stuff! The rest of the songs are put here in chronological order, with some live versions used for some of the tracks. "The Abyss" is a previously unreleased intro used by the Swedish ice-hockey team, Mora IK, recorded by Oscar, Stefan and Anders. The compilation shows the growth of one of the most important heavy metal acts in the last decade. Love 'em or hate 'em, they are still a force to be reckoned with in the heavy metal scene. I for one love them!

MASTERPIECES (2008) NUCLEAR BLAST

Child Of The Damned - Warlord Ravenlord - Stormwitch Eternal Dark - Picture Back To Back - Pretty Maids I Want Out - Helloween Man On The Silver Mountain - Rainbow Head Over Heels - Accept Run With The Devil - Heavy Load We're Gonna Make It - Twisted Sister Breaking The Law - Judas Priest Angel Of Mercy - Chastain Rising Force - Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force Detroit Rock City - Kiss Crazy Nights - Loudness När Vindarna Viskar Mitt Namn - Roger Pontare Flight Of The Warrior - Riot Youth Gone Wild - Skid Row Aphasia - Europe

I've actually been looking forward to this disc. Sure, I already own 12 of the 18 tracks on this covers album. But it's worth it if nothing else but to have them all collected on 1 CD. And now I don't have to buy the North-American and Japanese versions of 'Crimson Thunder', just to have their covers of Kiss' "Detroit Rock City" and Loudness' "Crazy Night" (an excellent choice for a cover, I might add). HammerFall have always not only chosen great songs to cover, but they have also done justice to the acts they were paying tribute too. Of the 12 songs I'd already heard here, only the Twisted Sister tune had let me down. Of the previously unreleased songs (the last 3 on the album), I think the Riot one is really cool. A weird choice for a cover is the Swedish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2000. Roger Pontare performed a song that was a mix of rock and folk music?!! I remember thinking that would be a cool enough song for a metal band to cover, and apparently someone agreed. HammerFall originally recorded it for a Eurovision Song Contest 50 year anniversary disc, and have also performed it live, together with Pontare, on Swedish national TV. You can check out a version with English lyrics here. Another cool thing about this CD is the cover art. How many of the covered acts can you find relations to on this thing?

HammerFall guest appearances:

V/A - 'Holy DIO : A Tribute To The Voice Of Metal - Ronnie James Dio'

Joacim Cans guest appearances:

V/A - 'Kissin' Time' (with Mrs.Hippie)

Nostradameus - 'Words Of Nostradameus'

Oscar Dronjak guest appearances:

In Flames - 'Lunar Strain', 'Subterranean' & 'The Jester Race'

Cans - 'Beyond The Gates'

Stefan Elmgren guest appearances:

Nocturnal Rites - 'Grand Illusion'

Anders Johansson guest appearances:

Narnia - 'The Great Fall'

Related artists:

Cans, Warlord, In Flames, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jorn, Evergrey

Fun fact: There is a small place in Norway called Hammerfall. So when I saw this sign, I just had to take some pictures. Click here to see them.