Artist: HammerFall
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release: 2006
Rating: 2.5/5
A year has gone by, and it’s time for the power metal hammers to rise again, swing, and come down with full force to serve up a fresh, recycled creation. “Natural High” – the new EP from the Swedish metal elves, sporting a cover that would fit right into a Mickey Mouse comic and a “bloodsucker” concept for its lead single that makes no sense whatsoever, announces the new studio album “Threshold”, which lands a month after this EP, the sort of EP HammerFall have washed ashore by the seaful by now. So the commercial campaign for the new album and the upcoming winter 2007 European tour has kicked off again, and with gusto.
HammerFall stick to the tried-and-true formula and look after their loyal followers even ten years after their celebrated debut “Glory To The Brave”, with the kind of material that’s a carbon copy of what everyone expected. No shifts, not up, not down, not left, not right. Not in the production and not in the style. So it’s the same worn-out, fossilized template, chewed through a thousand times, that will fire up the strictly power metal diehards who stay faithful to spinning one and the same musical frequency. What stands out on the EP is an interesting live version of Raise The Hammer from 2003, which will delight collectors of HammerFall rarities. For a moment of fun, though, there’s the bonus video for The Fire Burns Forever, which the “hammer boys” shot during the 19th European Athletics Championships, held in Göteborg, Sweden, between 06.08.2006 and 13.08.2006. In the video, a few elite Swedish track-and-field athletes joined the band for the shoot: Robert Kronberg (110 m hurdles), Alhaji Jeng (pole vault), Johan Wissman (200 m) and Kajsa Bergqvist (high jump). Time for “party time” on this EP.
When HammerFall finally make a noticeable break from chewing the already chewed, they can call their studio album from that era “Glory To The Brain” – but until then, let’s wait! Maybe “Threshold” is hiding a surprise or two.
Lineup
Joacim Cans – vocals
Oscar Dronjak – guitar
Stefan Elmgren – guitar
Magnus Rosén – bass
Anders Johannson – drums
Production
Charlie Bauerfiend
Track list
1. Natural High
2. Natural High (Karaoke Version)
3. The Fire Burns Forever (feat. Robert Kronberg)
4. Raise The Hammer (Live)
5. The Fire Burns Forever (Video)
EP running time: 15.18
