Hammerfall
Crimson Thunder

THE REVIEW

Guys, I'm ready for the lynching. I like Hammerfall! Alright, I won't go too deep into considerations about technique, (non) originality, etcetera, but these five goofballs make music that entertains me to the max. The lyrics are unmatched, I believe that if the Swedes, instead of being serious, made fun of themselves a little, they would be much more successful. Knights, swords, shields, heavy metal, and battles under the single catchphrase: Steel.
These are Hammerfall, surely they're a bunch of clowns, but in the meantime, they have some merits in my opinion: they open the door to metal for many young people, attracted by their pompousness, and above all, they have marked a very specific moment in the history of power metal. By now, this genre has undergone the split into pre and post-Hammerfall.

The songs are the usual, ranging from the most classic power metal to the much more present hard rock (with very metal-like sounds) born of the fur-coated Manowar, nothing new, in short. But that's how it works: listen to "Riders Of The Storm", and you will become "one with the wind, defenders of creation"... Or "Hearts On Fire", and "you will burn with desire" (I quote the lyrics), maybe to have a good laugh. No need to mention the other tracks, it's always the same story.

The only ones worth a few words are the instrumental "In Memoriam", written as a tribute to dear Chuck, who became a friend of the band after the Scandinavians toured with Control Denied, and the cover of Malmsteen's "Rising Force", in which the musicians prove that if they wanted to (but it's not always the case), they could play definitely more difficult things (you can hear the participation of the great Jens Johansson of Stratovarius, who duets with his brother Anders).
In short, if you want to unwind, don't feel like diving into demanding or lengthy listens, go for Hammerfall: laughter in abundance and guaranteed headbanging. I want them at Zelig!