HAMMERFALL — Crimson Thunder (review)

HAMMERFALL — Crimson Thunder album cover Album · 2002 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Warthur
Another mixed bag from HammerFall. On the one hand, it's a bit less samey than Renegade - the songs don't all blend into one another like on that one, so that's a plus. In fact, the difference between, say, the operatic On the Edge of Honour and Hearts On Fire, one of HammerFall's more poppy tracks, is vast. But not always in a good way. Whilst On the Edge of Honour takes us through a real journey in terms of both music and lyrics, Hearts on Fire is aggravatingly repetitive; the call and response "Hearts on fire, hearts on fire/Burning burning with desire" goes on and on, over and over again, until by the end of the song you never want to hear it again. Granted, the lyrics of songs like On the Edge of Honour aren't exactly startlingly original ever - fantasy monsters and knights and quests yet again - but at least they don't ever get dull.

That said, in general the album's a very, very slight improvement over the last one, during which HammerFall seemed to be treading water. The title track, Crimson Thunder, is slower and darker than almost anything else the band had played up to this point - don't get me wrong, we're not seeing HammerFall playing doom any time soon, but it's an experiment with a mood which they had avoid so far in favour of unicorns and pixies. Dreams Come True, a fusion of an acoustic guitar ballad and an orchestral dirge, likewise explores grimmer than usual territory for HammerFall, as does the brooding Angel of Mercy. Overall, despite a slightly weak opening, the album really firms up towards the end. HammerFall haven't rewritten the power metal rulebook with this one - when have they ever? - but they do find a little room to stretch out within the formula they've set for themselves.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
Psydye wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Tbh, I rather like the Hearts On Fire song. Of course, it could be the nostalgia glasses...it WAS one the first metal songs I REALLY got into!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Deviance Deathcore
ASHES INTO BLOOD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Equilibrium Atmospheric Sludge Metal
BESRA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tension Between Rot And Genesis Sludge Metal
ANTHESIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Recycle Brain Crust Punk
C.P.G
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cartography Of The Mind Deathcore
TETHERED
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Besra – Unsullied (Music Video)
BESRA
Bosh66· 10 hours ago
Tethered - Breathe (Official Video)
TETHERED
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - Walking The Blade (OFFICIAL VISUALIZER)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - The Negative (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - Drowning feat. Taylor Barber (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed