HammerFall
(r)Evolution

And finally, they're back. Some will say it was about time, others will say it was time to hang up the tools, but after three years of hiatus, Hammerfall is coming back in 2014 with this "(r)Evolution". Sure, talking about revolution or evolution in reference to this band sounds a bit like a contradiction. Known for making musical stagnation their forte, Hammerfall has never compromised. We can call it pride if we want, going straight down their path without being influenced by anything, but also useless stubbornness. Over the years, in the Power genre, we have increasingly seen many bands release barely adequate albums precisely because they did not try to refresh their sound. Dragonforce, Stratovarius, Angra, Rhapsody Of Fire are the first names that come to mind.

The gamble, a choice that very few bands in this genre wanted to make their own, but one that brought absolutely positive outcomes. Just remember albums like "The Dark Ride" in the case of Helloween, or "Utopia" for Axxis, which have helped to renew both the attitude and music of these bands. That's why Hammerfall, after releasing the mediocre, albeit adequate, "No Sacrifice, No Victory" (2009), decided to make a change. With the following "Infected", the sounds turned towards a heavier Heavy Metal, setting aside melody and focusing more on power, with a truly captivating result. The same Oscar Dronjak, guitarist and co-founder of the band, admitted that "Infected" was a necessary album, which had to contribute to reinventing the band's style, leaving the past behind. Three years, as I was saying. This is the time span for the release of "(r)Evolution", the ninth studio album by the Swedish group, which sees the return of Andrea Marschall for the cover design, the author of the first two Hammerfall albums, "Glory To The Brave" (1997) and "Legacy of Kings" (1998), as well as producer Fredrik Nordstrom, who also worked on the previous LPs.

It's impossible to remain unmoved by tracks like "Bushido", characterized by a rather simple yet effective structure, and "Hector's Hymn", probably one of the group's best songs since their early albums. The ballad "Winter is Coming" is inevitable, so syrupy and predictable that it's worth skipping, considered merely as a pointless filler. "Origins" and "Wildfire" push more on speed, with the former having a truly exceptional rhythm section, and a flawlessly executed solo, while the latter represents one of the album's highest quality peaks. However, the title track loses its appeal in the chorus, being way too simple, whereas "Live Life Loud" and "We Won't Back Down" are excellent anthems to sing along with the crowd, making them extremely suitable for live performances.

"(r)Evolution" thus represents the beginning of a new course for Hammerfall, who finally abandon certain habits too present in previous releases, such as the forced insertion of covers, instrumental tracks, and absolutely pointless mid-tempos. There were few ideas before the release of "Infected", and as has already happened to other bands, Hammerfall risked falling into self-recycling and a never-ending compositional/musical void. In the end, they are still the same, some will say. But I especially recommend to this band's detractors to give it a listen; maybe it won't make you scream masterpiece, and surely you won't consider it one of the best releases of these last years, but it will probably surprise you positively, and make you reevaluate a group that all too often has been denigrated and accused of proposing a genre that's been dead for a long time, but which could experience a second youth.