Leading a mid/late-90s European revolution, alongside the likes of Rhapsody, Firewind, Primal Fear and , Hammerfall were the most visible of this triumphant cohort, emerging just as the leading lights of 80s classic metal were fading to a low wattage. Back then, one-time trailblazers like , Iron Maiden, Manowar, Dio and Accept were floundering in increasingly shallow pools, unsure how to react to the decade’s hostile environment, when the fashion police were coming for our leather trousers, gatefold vinyl and patched denim. In those draconian times, when even Germany’s magazine was declaring heavy metal dead, the release of Hammerfall’s giddily thrilling debut felt not unlike the arrival of a saviour king on a rescue mission.
The mission: to inject some youthful energy and defiant pride into the embattled and scattershot trad metal landscape, and secure a glorious future for studded leather, heroic high notes and songs about slaying dragons. Their mission was a far greater success than many dared to hope. Fast-forward to 2024, and Hammerfall have long since settled in as a Swedish metal institution, surviving their own challenges, misfires and near-death experiences to remain unbent, unbowed and unbroken after nearly 30 years, maintaining a restless work rate that feels as Teutonic as their choppy, martial guitar tones.
However, in a year when Priest, , Accept and many more pensionable legacy legends have returned with beautifully crafted new records to command live sta.