HammerFall @ Copenhell 2024
Meticulously pounding the nail on the head
Much like with Steel Panther last night, if you know HammerFall, you will know exactly what to expect. That is, a package containing virtually every single element – some will say cliché – from this thing called heavy metal – some will say power metal.
But calling HammerFall power metal is only a half-truth. While their music does contain considerable melodic elements, it largely sounds like Judas fucking Priest, which is the benchmark for being as straight-up heavy metal as it gets. I know it's easy to get fooled by all those medieval thematics and lyrics about glory and battle and steel and whatnot – if you're a complete fucking genre-newbie. So quit being one already.
Anyway. Behind said thematics and lyrics is a group that's as great of a live act today as they ever were. And having seen them several times throughout the last 25 out of their 31-year career so far, I am not using those words lightly.
Granted, the last HammerFall album – and supposedly the coupla ones before it – was largely one big, uninspired repurpose of everything they ever did. But in a live situation, this is not only largely forgotten, but some of those newer songs even earn a bit of merit.
This also has to do with the fact that HammerFall is likely the most annoyingly professional group at this entire festival. Every single move of theirs – from their synchronized headbanging to their crowd incitements – is scrupulously rehearsed, tried, tested, perfected, and then rehearsed some more. And that is called being a goddamn boss.
But just as importantly, the group's energy is, at the same time, virile, present, and inspiringly confident. They should damn well know that their music is – let's be honest – largely corny as fuck. But they're owning it to the point where they might as well have been completely oblivious about repeating themselves. And that, too, is called being a goddamn boss.
HammerFall are making it work by owning everything they do and playing with the energy and conviction of a group of 20-some-year-old boys who wanna live their childhood dream no matter what.
Of course, not every song works equally well. "(We Make) Sweden Rock" is too self-aware for any band. The precluding "The End Justifies" is unessential, as is the ensuing "Hail to the King". Sure, it's a pleasure to rock along to a relatively newer song like
"Any Means Necessary" along with an audience who's having just as good
of a time as I am. (And yes, 2009 is relatively new. Shut up.) But the biggest point of criticism is that we're too short on genuine classics tonight.
Just like with Bruce Dickinson yesterday, the biggest problem here is that this is only a 1-hour festival set. And for a group with the amount of bangers that HammerFall has (no pun intended, sadly), we'd need at least another 30 minutes for classics like "Heeding the Call", "The Dragon Lies Bleeding", and "Crimson Thunder", and for some juicy deep cuts like "Trailblazers" and "End of the Rainbow".
Honestly, when we reach the set's conclusion, I find myself shouting for "Legacy of Kings" because I'd somehow happily forgotten all about "Hearts on Fire", the band's biggest single and corniest moment at the same time – which is saying a lot with a group like this.
But again, HammerFall are making it work. By being goddamn boss, owning everything they do, and playing with the energy and conviction of a group of 20-some-year-old boys who wanna live their collective childhood dream of playing heavy metal no matter what.
And not too far under their meticulously decorated comic book surface, that's exactly what they are.
Rating: 5 out of 6
Genre: Heavy metal / power metal (yeah, yeah, alright)
Venue: Copenhell, Hades Stage
Date: Thur., June 20th, 2024
Setlist:
- Brotherhood
- Any Means Necessary
- Blood Bound
- Renegade
- Hammer High
- Last Man Standing
- Let the Hammer Fall
- The End Justifies
- (We Make) Sweden Rock
- Hail to the King
- Hearts on Fire