[schema type=”review” name=”Hammerfall – Built to Last” description=”Label: Napalm Records” author=”Juho Karila” pubdate=”2016-11-04″ ]
Founded in 1993, Hammerfall is probably to metal what Ikea is to furniture. And no wonder, their impressive career has left a mark to stand the test of time. Now 23 years later they’re back to claim their place among the metal giants.
The first notes of the 10th studio album strikes with a force to be reckoned with, by fairly aggressive guitar riffs as Bring it! blasts from the speakers. First impression is that this is the most impressive record they’ve made in few years and it sounds like could had been made in the 80’s or 90’s, but only in the most positive way as it avoids the worst cliches but opens the album in a way that just forces you banging your fist in the air. Just bring it!
Hammer High is another anthem of the more traditional heavy metal, bowing to the direction of Manowar with its heavy sound and triplet feel, without forgetting about the catchy and powerful chorus to sing along with. While the song doesn’t show much of a surprise, it is a one testament that heavy metal will never die. This is how mid-tempo songs should be done.
Third one is called The Sacred Vow and it deceives us with an acoustic intro, promising of a ballad before thundering down upon us. It’s also a bit faster and a bit more crooked than the previous ones, landing the song among the best of the band, as it balances between aggressive and energetic verse and a mild easy-to-singalong chorus. This is the strongest Hammerfall I’ve heard since, the now 10 years old, Treshold album. Without rising too much expectations, this is a song I’ll really hope to hear next time I see the group live.
Followed by a rocket ride with tapped guitar leads and double bass blasts in terms of Dethrone and Defy, which is probably fastest and most 90’s song off the album with guitar leads taking a higher role, sadly it is overshadowed as a weaker and unmemorable by the first ballad of the album: Twilight Princess.
A frail flute opens the track and lulls us into a completely different emotions and soundscapes, being fairly close to the debut album’s Glory to the Brave. This clean track is a sad and cold like darkening November nights but it brings up the best parts of Joacim Cans‘ dynamic and versatile voice. Simply & truly the most beautiful song of the album.
Best riff of the album -honorary mention goes to The Star of Home which offers something we heard already in songs like Trailblazers, Hearts on Fire Natural High, to name a few of the most hooking guitar hits of these metal giants. The single riff rises the song up to the most intresting ones on Built to Last and it’s not lessened by the sudden clean breakdown before the lightning fast solo, that turns the song a reminiscent of latest albums. Something to anticipate in hearing live.
Towards the end, we hear a couple of more surprises, one of them being New Breed which follows pretty closely to the formula we’ve heard before from the legendary Accept. It is mid-tempo and it uses lots of rhythmic timing in the vocals to emphasize the fact, but it is a working concept, even if not the most intresting one.
Last but not least, the album ends to an epic called Second to None. It’s also the first song to use synths in a notable role, building up tension before the release and a calm clean half of a verse; very much like Glory to the Brave. But it’s not a carbon copy of the greatest song of the mighty Hammerfall, nor the previous ballad, as it kicks you in the shin when you least expect by thundering down with distorted guitars and double bass for a small moment before calming again. Before the track is over, we hear-out-of-the-blue, probably the most progressive riff the band has ever made and it’s given as a base for a fierce guitar solo that rumbles down like heaviest of storms. Something in that part makes me thinking of Iron Maiden in a way I can’t decide if it’s a good or a bad thing. Yet the song calms down for a chorus, with a pop-modulation and then fades out before its due. One of the more massive and bombastic songs the Swedish giants have made, and surely in the most intresting way but it’s a working concept; even if the song is over way too soon.
The rest of the album balances in between the best parts of the band by focusing in traditional heavy metal elements by utilising the old tools to create something new and so timeless, you can’t tell it’s a recent one.
Some could blame them for recycling old ideas with new wrappings but to me, this is the heavy metal I fell in love with. Truly a masterpiece and a must-have for all fans of the band.
But not even giants are flawless, the title track Built to Last falls into the trap of mediocre mid-tempo songs by relying on triplets and a marching feel, with very song-driven chorus, which could be a gesture of appreciation to the metal gods in Manowar but it fails to be intresting when the rest of the album is filled with very professionally and carefully brewed killers to raise the mood for many. With this, Hammerfall truly has managed to reclaim my interest and making me looking forward in hearing more from them, and soon.
Lineup:
Joacim Cans – Lead vocals
Oscar Dronjak – Guitars, backing vocals
Fredrik Larsson – Bass, backing vocals
Pontus Norgren – Guitars, backing vocals
David Wallin – Drums
 |
Tracklist:
1. Bring It! |
Links:
More articles
Satanic North – Satanic North
Then Comes Silence – Trickery
Enrique Iglesias – Final (Vol 2)