Review Summary: This is a shrewdly-wrought "apology" album from HammerFall for the disaster that was the Hectorless "Infected" release. It's their most uptempo album since 1998's "Legacy of Kings" and has a good hit-to-miss ratio, packed with several musical call-backs t
This is my first review; I'm just going to jump right into it.
This is a shrewdly-wrought "apology" album from HammerFall for the disaster that was the Hectorless "Infected" release. It's return to the fantasy/medieval/metal HammerFall fans fell in love with; demons, dungeons, warriors, and audacious lorecraft.
It's also their most uptempo album since 1998's Legacy of Kings (perhaps their best album), but integrating more complicated chord directions and better solo work.
Hector's Hymn [1] is amazing, a tour through HammerFall's discography minus "Infected."
(r)Evolution (the song) [2] is underwhelming and has odd lyrics. ~2:30 has a musical call-back to Threshold's "Howlin' with the Pac."
They released Bushido [3] as a single alongside a remake of Way of the Warrior. End of Bushido has an overt reference to Way of the Warrior (I'm a sucker for this kind of ***; power metal bands should be CONSTANTLY making connections and rewarding loyalty and puzzle-solving).
Live Life Loud [4] is mostly forgettable.
Ex Inferis [5] may be HammerFall's best ever downtempo track. The chorus is repetitive, but it's flavorful, and lets the verses, bridges, and solos stand out and shine.
We Won't Back Down [6] is very solid uptempo action and seems like it'll be fun to sing along in concert.
Winter is Coming [7] is very disjointed and boring, but it continues HammerFall's perpetual fanboy references to George R. R. Martin's work.
Origins [8] is great uptempo catchiness with a great solo. Only flaw is its chorus is I-V-vi-IV (BARF). It seems to have a vague homage to Threshold's "Rebel Inside" sprinkled around the solo.
I really like Tainted Metal [9]. Great little guitar diddies inserted in different places, and great solo.
I had to warm up to Evil Incarnate [10], but I like it now, except for the ending, and the screechy guitar intro that's repeated.
Wildfire [11] is mostly ruined by the ear-offensive choir-screaching "Wifi! Wifi!"
There's also a bonus track out there if you can find it, called Demonized, and it's a huge tragedy that it's a bonus track, since it's probably the album's very best song. It's super killer, great chord work and experimentation with some "non-HammerFall" heavy metal rhythm action.
As always, HammerFall is not about taking everything seriously, but bathing in the audaciousness and ridiculousness of it all while enjoying the ear-pleasing metal and being impressed by the "variations on a theme"/"in box" creativity and execution.
This album is HammerFall's resurrection from the misery of 2011 (my favorite bands are Opeth, Symphony X, and HammerFall, so 2011 was a Very Bad Year).
It isn't going to dethrone Glory to the Brave, Legacy of Kings, and Crimson Thunder as HammerFall's best albums, but the hit-to-miss ratio is quite high, and we're all happy to see Hector's return.
