Standing by Its Heroic Genre Trademarks - A Review of HammerFall's Hammer of Dawn

HammerFall has been on a streak of average traditional heavy metal records since its return to the roots with (r)Evolution eight years ago. The band's twelfth studio album Hammer of Dawn will please fans of old date and faithful collectors but certainly won't convince occasional listeners or adamant naysayers. The record is overall a little bit more memorable than its two immediate predecessors Dominion and Built to Last but can't compete with the band's strongest outputs.

On the positive side, we have anthemic, energetic and melodic opener ''Brotherhood'' that is both a band anthem and a song that represents the spirit of heavy metal like few others do. This song should be an excellent song for upcoming concerts and has the potential to stand the test of time.

''Venerate Me'' has a slightly more atmospheric tone with darker riffs, domineering drum patterns and additional vocals by legendary King Diamond. This song is a good example for how to incorporate a guest singer without denying your own identity.

The catchy, fast and uplifting ''Too Old to Die Young'' turns out to be the record's hidden gem. The song is an infectious band anthem and strong candidate for another single and highlight at upcoming concerts.

However, the record certainly isn't without its flaws. Some songs are so by the numbers, melodic and soft that they can be described as pop songs with additional guitars. Title track ''Hammer of Dawn'' for instance reminds of German disco pop group Dschinghis Khan that had its greatest hour in the late seventies.

The worst offender however remains the shallow ''Reveries''. The bland sing-along passages are exceptionally cringeworthy and unintentionally amusing. That tune qualifies as one of the band's worst tracks of all time. Let's hope the band will never play it in concert, so we can forget about that disaster as quickly as possible.

As you can read, HammerFall's Hammer of Dawn isn't without its flaws in form of bland pop influences, formulaic songwriting and mellow sounds. Overall however, the positive songs offer several highlights that shine brighter than the material on this record's two predecessors. The band knows how to invoke haunting atmosphere, write energetic band anthems and produce timeless heavy metal classics. If you are already a fan, then you should be satisfied with what the Swedish quintet has to offer. If you only appreciate the group's early years, you should however just ignore that album that essentially offers more of the same of what the band has been releasing throughout the past decade.

Final Rating: 72%