Gloryhammer @ Copenhell 2022
To the power and the glory!
The fact that Tom Jones' wonderfully corny classic "Delilah" runs on the PA before a band like Gloryhammer enters the stage tells you all you need to know about the self-awareness and humor of these guys. And big parts of the entire subgenre of power metal as well.
Admitted: I know vanishingly little from the band's back catalogue. But I do know a damn fine party when I'm smack dab in the middle of one. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is one such.
But really, how could you expect anything less from a band with a name like that? A sci-fi themed band that wears fantasy suits, plays different character personas, kills a green goblin kinda character on stage with a big-ass warhammer, and writes songs titled "Into the Terrorvortex of Kor-Virliath", "The Siege of Dunkeld", "The Land of Unicorns", and "The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee".
Yeah, that's right: TWO fucking songs about unicorns in one short festival set. Deal with it.
The music itself is straight up power metal by every rule of the trade. The brain child of keyboardist Zargothrax – on a daily basis better known as Christopher Bowes, vocalist and keytarist of Alestorm – Gloryhammer are currently touring with their new vocalist Sozos Michael, now playing the role of Angus McFife.
To me, it doesn't matter, to be honest. What matters is that the music is hella fast, catchy and cartoonish, and that it makes me and everyone around me in a helluva good mood.
And all of those checkboxes are marked. We're cheering, singing along and laughing throughout. I'm rocking out and high-fiving with complete strangers, and giving them (expensive!) beers for the sole reason that I'm having such a blast.
Seriously, if you don't like power metal, you suck. This is as rad as it gets. No, it might not be downright aggressive, and it's by no means dirty or raw. But apart from being fast, hard, and loud, it's also a wonderfully escapistic outlet for fun and fantasy.
And those are all pretty damn big parts of what metal is all about.
Rating: 5 out of 6
Genre: Power metal
Venue: Copenhell, Hades Stage
Date Wed., 15/6/2022
Setlist:
- Into the Terrorvortex of Kor-Virliath (PA intro)
- The Siege of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust)
- Gloryhammer
- The Land of Unicorns
- Fly Away
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Richard Strauss, PA interlude) - Hootsforce
- Angus McFife
- Universe on Fire
- The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee