Just this past Monday, I took a look at the first of my number 2 albums of last year. The War To End All Wars was a great release from Sabaton, but they weren’t the only Power Metal band to release something pretty damn awesome in 2022. Hammerfall, a band I’ve previously spoken of back in 2019 (Read here), returned in force with an absolute monster of an album. A record that rivals the majesty of Dominion, and in certain aspects manages to surpass it. So, I won’t waste anymore time, so let’s check out my review of the band’s 2022 release, Hammer Of Dawn. Let’s begin!
Background
After Dominion’s release (The first album of their’s I listened to, btw), they would embark on a tour in both Europe & North America supporting their fellow countrymen Sabaton. Following those tours, the band announced that they would release Live! Against the World.......in 2020 of all years. October the 23rd in 2020, to be exact. Fortunately, a band like Hammerfall wasn’t put down by The Plague: On the 19th of March, 2021, they announced that they would accompany the iconic Helloween on a European tour in both 2022 and 2023 called United Forces. During this tour, Hammerfall would be supporting their twelfth studio album Hammer Of Dawn, which was released on the 25th of February, 2022.
Basic Description
Fun.
Now, I know that’s not the most complex way to describe an album, but Hammerfall were never the most complex Power Metal bands out there. These guys have always been crafting some of the catchiest music in their sub-genre: from the guitars, to the bass, to the drums, and to the vocals, the vibes are nothing short of upbeat & energetic. Even though the band never utilized keyboards (As far as I know), the tunes they craft are nothing short of catchy with their rhythm. It’s hard not to smile as you listen to this record!
Best Track
Venerate Me is one of the more rhythmic tracks on this album, and considering what the rest of the album is like is saying something. The band is going for a mid paced song here, as the instrumentation doesn’t play too fast, but doesn’t play too slow either. Even Joacim Cans’s singing goes along with the middle pacing, but the highlight of this track is the guest appearance of none other than King Diamond himself! Sure, it’s only for one part (More on that in a sec), but it’s great to hear the lord of nightmares make an appearance on a Power Metal track, and it’s this random appearance that keeps Venerate Me glued to my brain.
Venerate Me
However, Venerate Me is also the worst thing on Hammer Of Dawn! Having a massive name like King Diamond on a song is a huge boost in recognition, but using him for just 1 portion of said song is a crime. Not only that, but it is also kind of hard to tell that it’s the king himself, and if I didn’t look it up or see certain comments, I never would have been able to tell that it was him unless my ears squinted really hard.
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:
Hammer Of Dawn
Overall Impression & Rating
Hammer Of Dawn is just a big Power Metal hug. By the time you’re done listening to it, you feel warm & fuzzy.....and maybe wanting to storm a castle to rescue the princess. If Venerate Me used King Diamond more effectively, I might have actually given this album a perfect 10. Even then, there’s not a single bad song on this record. The almost 46 minute runtime is just perfect for this release, and the overall quality to show why Hammerfall are one of the best. Seek this album out if you can!
Hammer Of Dawn gets a 9 out of 10.
And that was my look at Hammer Of Dawn. If Sabaton was the more serious side of Power Metal in 2022 (Despite being upbeat more often than not), then Hammerfall is the fun & energetic side of the sub-genre. 2022 needed an album like Hammer Of Dawn to re-infuse life with a nice bit of sunshine, and it definitely did that. So, number 1 is next week, and on that Friday I will be looking at one of the most emotionally heavy records ever to have been released so far of this decade. See you then.
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