Hammer King

What happens when one takes the raw intensity of the 80s U.S. power metal sound, merges it with the somewhat more methodical character of the German response in such outfits as Accept and Helloween, and brings it into the more polished realm of contemporary metal productions? The answer to this question was originally given by Hammerfall in the late 1990s, reviving a mode of heavy metal that had largely fallen out of favor during the decade in question and giving it a more modernized twist. With the passage of time said Swedish metal saviors have passed into veteran status, and while they’ve lost little of their charm, the sound they exhibit now is comparatively tame when matched against the faster and hungrier vibes given off from debut offering Glory To The Brave and its colossal follow up Legacy Of Kings. As such, it would seem inevitable that a younger entry into the scene would pick up where those albums left off and perhaps even up the ante in certain respects, and in 2015 an impressive fold of German steel workers dubbed Hammer King would do just that.

To the untrained eye, the mighty war hammer that this Teutonic quartet has adopted as their own seems interchangeable with the one that is wielded by the plate-mail toting mascot of Hammerfall, but closer inspection reveals a more barbaric and muscular warrior in line with the Conan legend that mirrors the distinction in their musical approach on their eponymous fourth studio LP. Instead of a mix of refined, mid-paced melodic anthems after the mold of 80s Accept and U.D.O. intermingled with swifter material after the mold of Helloween, the template here is a meatier and more aggressive metallic fit of bluster that leans closer to towards late 80s Manowar. It’s a highly fitting eventuality given that vocalist Patrick Fuchs (aka Titan Fox V) served as helmsman for Ross The Boss’ solo project back for a couple albums a while back, though his vocal approach often parallels the clean swagger of Joacim Cans. It’s an approach that is equally as catchy and filled to the brim with lyrical allusions to war and the fantastical, yet has more of an aggressive edge to it.

From the opening burst of pummeling speed and metallic splendor that is “Awaken The Thunder”, it becomes clear that this is an outfit that doesn’t beat around the bush. In keeping with their obvious affinity to the sound of Manowar, the bass work of newly acquired member Gladius Thundersword, while not as insanely technical as that of Joey Demaio, is similarly thick, glassy, and heavily prominent in the mix. Combined with a massive sounding drum performance turned in by Volker “Dolph Macallan” Shick, the rhythm section proves a formidable force unto itself that, when combined with a solid array of riff work, becomes a veritable battering ram of sound. Not content to coast along at a moderate pace after the initial auditory explosion, the gallop happy war anthem “Baptized By The Hammer” comes in with an even greater amount of force, almost to the point of turning into power/thrash. Even when things land on more of a mid-paced shuffle as on “Onward To Victory” and the more harmonically rich Hammerfall-leaning rocker “Ashes To Ashes”, not an iota of punch is lost with the reduction in tempo.

For the most part, the method behind this album’s madness is confined to a continual onslaught of compact anthems, occasionally giving way to slightly more epic material. The high point of the shorter and more impact-based material is generally found among blistering speed anthems such as “Hammerschlag” and “In The Name Of The Hammer”, the former for the degree of power brought to the table, while the latter more so for just how amazingly catchy the song’s Running Wild-inspired principle riff plays off the massive vocal chants that bring the song full circle. But the place where this album really breaks into mythical territory is mid-paced and expansive epic forays like the war march vibes of “Atlantis (Epilogue)”, which has a bit of a “Heaven And Hell” vibe to it, and the closing battle anthem “King Of Kings”, which takes some obvious pages out of Manowar’s Kings Of Metal and merges them with a folksy mixture of melodic hooks, to speak nothing for the brilliant acoustic epilogue “Holy (outro)” that immediately follows and closes the album out like a prayer at the end of a gargantuan struggle.

To call this album triumphant would be an understatement, but it has a bit more grit to go with the grandeur than the average band toting the sword and sorcery visual to go with their brand of heavy or power metal. In addition to the obvious parallels noted earlier, those who enjoy the heavier yet heroic sounding material heard out of other German acts such as Majesty, Wizard, Metal Law and Paragon will definitely go for most of what is found on here. The difference is largely split between the unfettered rawness of the rhythm section and the somewhat more refined character of the guitar work, spearheaded by the riffing and soloing work that tends to dovetail with the expressive yet nimble character heard out of Oscar Dronjak and Stefan Elmgren back in the early days of Hammerfall. Think of this as more along the lines of a berserker variant of the armored infantry man associated with the aforementioned band’s sound, equally as skilled with a sword but with that added amount of maddened zeal that strikes fear in the heart of the opposing army.

Originally written for Sonic Perspectives (www.sonicperspectives.com)