HammerFall - "Built To Last"

HammerFall - Built To Last
2016, Napalm

1. Bring It!
2. Hammer High
3. The Sacred Vow
4. Dethrone and Defy
5. Twilight Princess
6. Stormbreaker
7. Built To Last
8. The Star of Home
9. New Breed
10. Second To None

Hammerfall kind of remind me of a metal version of AC/DC or Enya - performers that know their thing and pretty much stick to it. There is nothing wrong with this, especially if it keeps resulting in good music. Built To Last is straight-up, no nonsense, traditional heavy metal. If you like heavy metal and/or Hammerfall, you'll like this. Though I think I might slightly prefer the previous album over this one.

Useless Fact: Is "Twilight Princess" a Zelda reference? I don't know... I'm going to say it is even though the lyrics don't have anything to do with the game.

HammerFall - "(r)Evolution"

HammerFall - (r)Evolution
2016, Nuclear Blast

1. Hector's Hymn
2. (r)Evolution
3. Bushido
4. Live Life Loud
5. Ex Inferis
6. We Won't Back Down
7. Winter Is Coming
8. Origins
9. Tainted Metal
10. Evil Incarnate
11. Wildfire
Bonus Track
12. Demonized

Many years ago I used to have HammerFall's Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken and I liked it quite a bit. I got rid of it for reasons which now escape me and were probably foolish and dumb because it was a great album. So recently I got a hankerin' for some of HammerFall's straight-forward, no nonsense, classic heavy metal. I was hoping that FYE might have some and was hoping I could get it while on vacation. As luck would have it, they did have this album so I snatched it up. It's HammerFall - for good or ill. They are one of those bands that know their style and stick with it. I absolutely love it. That being said, I don't think that if you didn't like the band before this album isn't gonna change your mind. It definitely scratches an itch for me, though!

Useless Fact: I think this is the first time the band's mascot, Hector, has his own song.