By: DeathViking

Posted: Feb 16, 2007

At first listen the new album from Hammerfall has their signature sound; the production is very clean and sounds very professional. There are only a few things one can say against that part of the album without being overly critical. The production of the album was done very well to solidify it as a whole, one large work. That being said one of the downfalls to this production method is that the songs have lost a lot of their individuality and the guitar solos seem to be watered down as they are not as prominent in the mixture. They are still there and they are still in some of the same vein as the typical Hammerfall style of Stefan Elmgren. The rhythm guitar is definitely the hero on this album. The fourth track, 'Natural High' is a very good example of this. At about three and a half minutes into the song if the guitar solo stood out a little more I think it would have taken the song to a whole new level. But the rhythm guitar was still overpowering the solo until the last part of the solo when the rhythm part backed down a little bit. But it was too little, too late. Most of the songs on the album are like this.

I was very impressed with the first song of the album. It was a very much needed strong start to the album and they have delivered it well. But other than the first song, the strongest point of the album seems to be the middle of the album. Track five 'Dark Wings, Dark Words' is one of their slow songs with one of the whoa choruses that come from behind and re-establish the power of the song and the guitar work in this one is more distinct. Track six 'Howlin’ With The 'Pac' comes out as one of the cheesy tracks, but it is a strong song. Track seven 'Shadow Empire' might be the best song on the album. It starts out with an almost thrash like quality, in the middle of the track there is a breakdown that they flesh out a little bit just before the solo. This time the solo starts out a little different as more of a sleazy 1970's heavy metal style before it reaches the signature touch and the song ends shortly thereafter. The only other good guitar solo on the album comes in the track 'Genocide'.

Sometimes doing something simple seems to be the best working formula in music. However, this new album may not have been the right time to simplify things. Two studio albums ago they came out with "Crimson Thunder", synonymous with 'Hearts On Fire'. Not exactly a screaming beacon for the perfect Hammerfall album, no matter how many videos a band can make for the same song. "Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken" was a good album, and I think that most people thought that Hammerfall was on their way back up, but for some it just did not have enough redemptive power to pull them out of the slump that they got into with 'Hearts On Fire' and "Crimson Thunder". As a friend of mine put it, “they should have spent a little more time in the basement and a little less time in the studio” this time around and I think they could have had themselves a top quality album. Even for a Hammerfall fan this album overall is too dull.

Rating: 6/10

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