Swedish metallers HAMMERFALL will release their 13th studio album, “Avenge The Fallen”, on August 9 via Nuclear Blast Records
That’s right — less than a year after taking the final bow of the “United Forces” tour, HAMMERFALL, featuring guitarist Oscar Dronjak, singer Joacim Cans, bass player Fredrik Larsson, guitarist Pontus Norgen and drummer David Wallin are back with ten brand new solid pieces of classic heavy metal.
“This is our 13th album,” Cans says with pride. “How do you still stay relevant after 13 albums? It’s very much like the opening line to the song ‘Avenge The Fallen’: ‘What is the worst, be the one who died, or be the one who survived.’ Think about it, because it is a tough question”.
He continues: “Do we want to be a band who releases new music just for the sole reason of getting out on the road again or do we want to keep pushing and challenging ourselves? In times where people have less and less attention span, we still think in the form of full-length albums. A few good songs don’t make a strong album. A strong album comes from an album full of great songs and that’s what we’re delivering with ‘Avenge The Fallen’.”
To give a taste of what awaits the fans, the band unleashes the first single and video “Hail To The King”, a song that was born on the road.
“I began working on ‘Hail To The King’ while on tour in the U.S. with HELLOWEEN,” Dronjak recalls. “By the end of the tour, I was getting close to wrapping the song up, so straight after the Los Angeles gig, I headed to the bus where I worked like a mad man to get the last pieces together.
“That turned out to be the show where one of my favorite wrestlers, Chris Jericho, came to visit. It was also the show where Fredrik met his idol Frank Bello from ANTHRAX and Joacim met Jay Ruston, producer for ARMORED SAINT, AVATAR, ANTHRAX, Corey Taylor and more and whom after this meeting agreed to produce the vocals for ‘Avenge The Fallen’. I missed all that, but I at least got a great song out of it, haha!”
HAMMERFALL ‘Hail To The King’ track listing:
01. Avenge The Fallen
02. Burn It Down
03. Capture The Dream
04. Hail To The King
05. Hero To All
06. Hope Springs Eternal
07. Rise Of Evil
08. The End Justifies
09. Time Immemorial
HAMMERFALL Return Home to Nuclear Blast
HAMMERFALL announced a triumphant return to their longtime label Nuclear Blast in December 2022. This reunion marked a full-circle moment for the band, who launched their illustrious career with Nuclear Blast back in 1997 with the iconic debut album “Glory To The Brave.”
The reunion wasn’t just symbolic – it also celebrated a staggering achievement. HAMMERFALL‘s entire Nuclear Blast catalog, encompassing albums like “Glory To The Brave” and the 2014 release “(r)Evolution,” has achieved remarkable commercial success, receiving a diamond award for surpassing a staggering 1.5 million sales worldwide.
But the accolades don’t stop there. HAMMERFALL‘s Swedish dominance is undeniable. Following the success of albums like “Renegade” (2000), “Crimson Thunder” (2002), and “No Sacrifice, No Victory” (2009), their 2005 release “Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken” became their fourth album to achieve gold status in Sweden. “Crimson Thunder” even reached platinum heights, exceeding 60,000 sales in their home country – a true testament to their dedicated fanbase.
Further solidifying their legacy, a special platinum edition of “Crimson Thunder” brimming with bonus content was released by Nuclear Blast in April 2023.
While their return to Nuclear Blast marks a nostalgic return, HAMMERFALL continues to forge ahead creatively. Their latest album, “Hammer Of Dawn,” was released in February 2022 via Napalm Records. This critically acclaimed album showcased the talents of longtime collaborator Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, OPETH) who handled mixing, mastering, drum recording, and shared guitar and bass recording duties with band members Pontus Norgren and Oscar Dronjak. Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT) took the helm for lead vocal production.
With a renewed partnership with Nuclear Blast and a relentless creative fire, HAMMERFALL promises an exciting future filled with powerful music and electrifying performances.
