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HammerFall is a Swedish
power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...
band from
Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
. The band was formed in 1993 by ex-
Ceremonial Oath Ceremonial Oath is a Swedish death metal band who formed in 1989 under the name "Desecrator", changed their name to Ceremonial Oath in 1991 and disbanded in 1996. During their short career they released three demos, one EP and two albums. Thei ...
guitarist
Oscar Dronjak Oscar Fredrick Dronjak (born 20 January 1972) is a Swedish guitarist and founder of the heavy metal band HammerFall. Prior to the success of HammerFall, he also played and released albums with the death metal acts Ceremonial Oath and Crystal A ...
.


History


Early days (1993–1996)

HammerFall was formed when rhythm guitarist
Oscar Dronjak Oscar Fredrick Dronjak (born 20 January 1972) is a Swedish guitarist and founder of the heavy metal band HammerFall. Prior to the success of HammerFall, he also played and released albums with the death metal acts Ceremonial Oath and Crystal A ...
quit
Ceremonial Oath Ceremonial Oath is a Swedish death metal band who formed in 1989 under the name "Desecrator", changed their name to Ceremonial Oath in 1991 and disbanded in 1996. During their short career they released three demos, one EP and two albums. Thei ...
and invited
Jesper Strömblad Clas Håkan Jesper Strömblad (born 28 November 1972) is a Swedish musician who is the guitarist of the bands The Halo Effect, Dimension Zero and Cyhra, and formerly of In Flames and The Resistance. He is best known as the founder and former ...
(from
Ceremonial Oath Ceremonial Oath is a Swedish death metal band who formed in 1989 under the name "Desecrator", changed their name to Ceremonial Oath in 1991 and disbanded in 1996. During their short career they released three demos, one EP and two albums. Thei ...
and
In Flames In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990. Alongside At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, In Flames pioneered the genres known as Swedish death metal and melodic death metal. During t ...
) to join him as a drummer in a new musical project he had been contemplating for some time. Dronjak had already composed the song "Steel Meets Steel," which was later included on HammerFall's debut album. Dronjak and Strömblad were later joined by lead guitarist
Niklas Sundin Niklas Sundin (born 13 August 1974 in Gothenburg, Sweden) is a musician of the band Mitochondrial Sun, but was best known as the founding lead guitarist of band Dark Tranquillity (1989–2020). He was also one of the guitarists in the band Laethora ...
, bassist
Johan Larsson Johan Larsson may refer to: * Johan Larsson (musician) (born 1974), Swedish bassist * Johan Larsson (ice hockey, born 1986), Swedish ice hockey player * Johan Larsson (ice hockey, born 1992), Swedish ice hockey player, drafted by the Minnesota Wil ...
, and vocalist
Mikael Stanne Bengt Mikael Stanne (born 20 May 1974) is a Swedish musician, best known as the vocalist and one of the lyricists (as well as a former rhythm guitarist) for the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. Since the departure of origina ...
. When Niklas Sundin and Johan Larsson left HammerFall the following year,
Glenn Ljungström Glenn Ljungström (born 7 September 1974) is a Swedish co-guitarist from Nödinge-Nol, for a band called The Resistance, since 2011. He was also an ex-guitarist and composer in a few other Swedish bands. He was most notably in heavy metal band ...
(then guitarist of
In Flames In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990. Alongside At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, In Flames pioneered the genres known as Swedish death metal and melodic death metal. During t ...
) and Fredrik Larsson (bassist of the former Swedish
death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
band
Dispatched Dispatched were a Swedish melodic death metal band from Södertälje (originally from the Gnesta Municipality) formed in 1992. History Dispatched was formed just before New Year's Eve, 1991 by Daniel Lundberg and Krister Andersson. Jonas Kimbr ...
), replaced them. All five members played in other bands at the time. Dronjak and Larsson played in ''Crystal Age''; Strömblad and Ljungström played in
In Flames In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990. Alongside At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, In Flames pioneered the genres known as Swedish death metal and melodic death metal. During t ...
and Stanne sang for
Dark Tranquillity Dark Tranquillity is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Gothenburg. They are considered one of the pioneering acts of the Gothenburg metal scene, which also includes bands such as In Flames and At the Gates. Dark Tranquillity is regarded a ...
. Both of these bands influenced Swedish
melodic death metal Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavines ...
. HammerFall was relegated to being a side project of them all for several years. Their concerts were limited mostly to a local music contest named ''Rockslaget''. The band had few songs of their own and played mostly covers from bands such as
Pretty Maids Pretty Maids is a Danish hard rock/Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Horsens. Formed in 1981 by Ken Hammer, and completed with Ronnie Atkins in 1982, their sound and music can be described as classic guitar-laden heavy rock with a strong ...
,
Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...
and
Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
. In 1996, HammerFall reached the semi-finals of ''Rockslaget''. When Mikael Stanne could not perform with the band in the semi-finals, they found
Joacim Cans Joacim Cans (born 19 February 1970 in Mora) is a Swedish singer, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band HammerFall. He is the only member aside from founder and guitarist Oscar Dronjak to appear on all of the band's albums. Cans at ...
, who agreed to play with them for the night. The concert was a success although the judges disqualified HammerFall for the finals. By the end of that day, Joacim had already been made an official member of the band.


''Glory to the Brave'' and ''Legacy of Kings'' (1997–1999)

To give more exposure to their work and try for a professional recording deal, a short live performance was recorded and sent to the
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
label, Vic Records. The musicians soon received a deal and spent the whole of the following year writing the album ''
Glory to the Brave ''Glory to the Brave'' is the debut album by the Swedish heavy metal band HammerFall, released in 1997. Despite the fact that the band was formed in 1993, HammerFall performed mostly live music and covers before this album was released. "Steel ...
''. The album was initially released in the Netherlands and obtained positive feedback; it is also worthy of notice that the band's
mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...
, the
paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, where ...
Hector, first appeared on the cover of this album. As HammerFall grew in popularity, the time available for members of the band to dedicate to other projects became limited. Dronjak and Cans wanted to pursue the path of HammerFall (Dronjak's Crystal Age had ceased to exist some time ago), but Strömblad and Ljungström were committed to In Flames and Larsson was committed to the
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
band ''None''. Thus, HammerFall's line-up soon underwent changes.
Stefan Elmgren Stefan Elmgren (born 17 May 1974) is the former guitarist of the Swedish power metal band HammerFall from 1997 to 2008. History Before becoming a member of HammerFall, he was the guitarist in the band Highlander. Elmgren has also worked with his s ...
assumed the lead guitar and Patrik Räfling assumed the drums (they joined the band in the beginning of 1997 before the release of ''Glory to the Brave'' album) and Larsson decided to remain in the band until a suitable replacement for him was found. This happened in May 1997, when bassist
Magnus Rosén Klas Magnus Rosén is a Swedish musician, born 1963 in Gothenburg. He was the bassist of Swedish band HammerFall from 1997 to 2007. Magnus Rosén started to play bass when he was 15 years old. after playing bass for three years he went on his fir ...
joined the band. Stefan Elmgren played some of the guitars on the ''Glory to the Brave'' album (such as the acoustic guitars on "I Believe") and Patrik Räfling actually played the drums on all songs in place of Jesper. However, at the time they were considered as guest performers, not members of the band. In early 1997, German label
Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
approached HammerFall with a contract for a European release deal, which included four albums. The deal was accepted and the band proceeded to record their first two
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
s — "HammerFall" and "Glory to the Brave". After the release of a promotional single, ''Glory to the Brave'' was released throughout Europe. The results were quite unexpected, even after the intense marketing campaign made by Nuclear Blast. The album reached position number 38 on the German Music Chart on the week of its release, something which had never before been achieved by a debut
heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a ...
album. Siding with bands
Gamma Ray A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ or \gamma), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves, typically ...
,
Jag Panzer Jag Panzer is an American power metal band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. History Jag Panzer came together in late 1981, being inspired by the onslaught of the new wave of British heavy metal. The original line-up consisted of Harry Conkl ...
,
Lake of Tears Lake of Tears is a Swedish heavy metal band originally formed in 1994, generally considered to play gothic metal/gothic rock and doom metal. However, their sound has expanded to include psychedelic rock and progressive rock elements. The band ...
and
Raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned t ...
, several tours through the European continent ensued. The concert on
Wacken Open Air Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a rock music, rock music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all styles and su ...
was performed to a crowd of over ten thousand people. Towards the end of 1997, ''Glory to the Brave'' was released in Japan and the United States. Sales of the album reached one hundred thousand copies. HammerFall was also nominated for the Swedish
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
award in the ''Best Hard Rock act'' category. In February 1998 they did a small club tour (5 gigs) in Belgium and the Netherlands. Support was the Belgian band Double Diamond, who later became
Fireforce Fire Force or Fireforce is a variant of the military tactic of vertical envelopment of a target by helicopter-borne and parachute infantry developed by the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Rhodesian Bush War. Regiments involved included t ...
In February 1998, the recording of ''
Legacy of Kings ''Legacy of Kings'' is the second album created by the Swedish heavy metal band HammerFall. It was released on 28 September 1998 by Nuclear Blast.The enhanced CD release includes the music video for the track "Let the Hammer Fall", a photo gall ...
'' began. This album was once more written by Joacim, Oscar, and Jesper, who despite having quit the band still took part in the process in order to keep the same general mood of their first release. The album was produced by
Fredrik Nordström Björn Tom Fredrik Nordström (born 5 January 1967) is a Swedish musician and record producer, best known as the guitarist of heavy metal band Dream Evil. Nordström is one of the leading melodic death metal and power metal producers in Sweden ...
(from
Dream Evil Dream Evil is a Swedish heavy metal band, assembled by producer Fredrik Nordström in 1999. History Producer Fredrik Nordström had the ambition of creating a power metal band of his own for a long time, but had difficulty finding anyone ...
) and Oscar, with the help of Joacim. The band spent a total of one and a half months in the studio recording this album. HammerFall made some expressive concerts before the release of ''Legacy of Kings'', playing in festivals together with bands such as
Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
,
Rammstein Rammstein (, "ramming stone") is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band formed in Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, ...
,
Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
,
Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of the ...
,
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
and
Stratovarius Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1985. Since their formation, they have released sixteen studio albums, five DVDs and six live albums. In its history, the band has gone through many chaotic lineup changes, and after fo ...
. Their first world tour took place in October 1998. During the shows in Sweden, Joacim Cans caught a serious throat infection which made it impossible for him to sing. Shortly afterwards, Magnus Rosén was afflicted with the same disease, and after him the whole of HammerFall's support crew became sick. The members of the band played for as long as possible and then were forced to postpone or cancel a few dates. During their passage through South America, HammerFall took a short break to visit the
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian beaches, but they soon resumed their tour. By the end of that tour, drummer Patrik Räfling left the band, and Anders Johansson, a friend of Magnus Rosén, joined as a touring musician. In the beginning of 1999 he was made a permanent member of the band. Anders had previously worked with guitarist
Yngwie Malmsteen Yngwie Johan Malmsteen ( ; born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck, 30 June 1963) is a Swedish guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning ov ...
on
Rising Force ''Rising Force'' is the first studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released in late 1984 through Polydor Records.Jens Johansson Jens Ola Johansson (born 2 November 1963 in Stockholm) is a Swedish keyboardist and pianist who currently plays in the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius and Ritchie Blackmore's rock project Rainbow. He is notable for his high-speed neoclas ...
from
Stratovarius Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1985. Since their formation, they have released sixteen studio albums, five DVDs and six live albums. In its history, the band has gone through many chaotic lineup changes, and after fo ...
. He has been praised for his technical and polyrhythmical talent, in metal as well as other genres.


''Renegade'' and ''Crimson Thunder'' (2000–2003)

After a long series of concerts, the band returned to Sweden in order to spend time with their families and begin writing songs for their next album. HammerFall made arrangements for this album to be recorded by Michael Wagener, who had previously produced bands such as
Accept Accept may refer to: * Acceptance, a person's assent to the reality of a situation etc. * Accept (band), a German heavy metal band ** ''Accept'' (Accept album), their debut album from 1979 * ''Accept'' (Chicken Shack album), 1970 * ACCEPT (or ...
,
Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
and
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
. The recording took eight weeks, and the album was entitled ''
Renegade Renegade or The Renegade may refer to: Aircraft *Lake Renegade, an American amphibious aircraft design *Murphy Renegade, a Canadian ultralight biplane design *Southern Aeronautical Renegade, an American racing aircraft design Games *'' Comman ...
''. The switch from producer Fredrik Nordström to Wagener was met with skepticism from the media in general. However, after the release, critics were mostly positive, even though there was a consensus that the band's sound was remarkably different. A music video by director Roger Johansson was created for the song "Renegade" and reached the top of the Swedish parade; the same soon happened with the album itself, which reached gold status with over forty thousand copies sold. Oscar stated on www.metalrules.com just prior to the release of 'Renegade' that they were going for a more "commercial" sound in order to attract a broader audience that otherwise would have been lost to them and that future albums wouldn't follow in this mold. The band's second world tour began in January 2001. Concerts from this tour counted with a replica version of the album's cover on stage. It was set up as a
castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in ruins from which the musicians entered the stage. In total, the tour included almost sixty shows. The band then released a
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
entitled ''
The Templar Renegade Crusades The Templar Renegade Crusades is a combination of live performances, video clips, interviews, etc., by the Swedish power metal band, HammerFall. It was released by Nuclear Blast, first on VHS (May 21, 2002) followed by a DVD release (July 8, 2002). ...
'', which included video footage from recording sessions, live concerts, tour backstages, and encounters with fans. The footage ranged from the recording sessions of ''Legacy of Kings'' to the gold album party which took place in November 2001. HammerFall then proceeded to record their fourth album — ''
Crimson Thunder ''Crimson Thunder'' is the fourth studio album released by the Swedish metal band HammerFall. It was the first album the band worked on with producer Charlie Bauerfeind. The cover art was created by Samwise Didier, who is also known for his ''W ...
''. Arrangements were made for recording sessions to take place in both ''JM Studios'': from
Charlie Bauerfeind Karl Rudolf "Charlie" Bauerfeind (born 30 May 1963) is a German sound engineer and producer who has worked mostly with power metal bands such as Angra, Blind Guardian, Helloween, Primal Fear, Rage, HammerFall and Saxon. Works Production ...
, in ''
Wisseloord Studios The Wisseloord Studio is a recording studio in Hilversum, Netherlands. It was officially opened on 19 January 1978 by Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Prince Claus. The studios were founded by electronics company Philips, to enable their PolyGram ...
'' — in the Netherlands, and studio ''Blind Guardian'' — in Germany, for the bass. By the end of the recording sessions in 2002, a listening session for the press was held. Overall, the reactions were quite positive, and most seemed to perceive the album as a change for the better from ''Renegade''. A single for the song "Hearts on Fire" was released six weeks prior to the album's launch and remained for weeks on the number one spot on the parades of some European countries. The song also attracted a number of new fans to the band due to its
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
-driven melody and simple riffs coupled with fast guitar solos. The shooting of the music video "Hearts on Fire" by director Roger Johansson was scheduled for August of that year. The band's plans, however, had to be held back for a week due to an incident that occurred one night. While Joacim was drinking with his girlfriend in a rock club he had been frequenting for over a decade, he was attacked by an unidentified person who hit him in the head with a beer glass and hastily escaped. Joacim instantly lost consciousness and had to be taken to a hospital, in which he underwent
plastic surgery Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...
and rested for a couple of days. As soon as it became medically possible, he joined the band to record the music video. In order to promote the release of the band's album in North America, they toured with Dio during November and December 2002. Subsequently, the manager of the band disappeared, taking the entirety of the tour's revenue with him. Despite this the tour was very successful, and proceeded to Europe. Changes were made to the band's stage setting, and many investments were made on
fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...
and on the presence of the mascot Hector on stage. The scenery on the cover of the single ''Hearts on Fire'' was also reproduced and added to the performances. The tour progressed to Japan and then to South America. HammerFall was present on festivals in Germany, Spain and the Czech Republic, playing with bands such as
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
,
Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...
,
Twisted Sister Twisted Sister was an American heavy metal band originally from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York. Their best-known songs include " We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", both of which were associated with m ...
,
U.D.O. U.D.O. is a German heavy metal band founded by lead vocalist Udo Dirkschneider in 1987. History Following Udo Dirkschneider's departure from Accept in 1987, he formed his own band called U.D.O. He recruited guitarists Mathias Dieth and Peter ...
and
Stratovarius Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1985. Since their formation, they have released sixteen studio albums, five DVDs and six live albums. In its history, the band has gone through many chaotic lineup changes, and after fo ...
. HammerFall's tour was brought to a sudden end when Oscar Dronjak suffered a
motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
accident, breaking his left arm and sustaining several minor injuries. They were then left with no choice but to take a break. Stefan dedicated himself to getting a
pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
license, Magnus and Anders continued working on their side projects and Joacim began work on his solo album and had his first child. Oscar simply focused on recovering. Together with a group of specialists, he was able to recover to his full capacities. He then joined Anders, Joacim, Stefan again, with bands
Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weik ...
,
Gamma Ray A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ or \gamma), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves, typically ...
and
Pretty Maids Pretty Maids is a Danish hard rock/Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Horsens. Formed in 1981 by Ken Hammer, and completed with Ronnie Atkins in 1982, their sound and music can be described as classic guitar-laden heavy rock with a strong ...
, amongst others, and played in the celebration of the 20 years of the German rock club ''Rockfabrik''.


''Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken'' and ''Threshold'' (2005–2008)

The live album and DVD ''One Crimson Night'' was released in February 2003. After two years of hiatus the band released '' Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken'', which was followed by a European and South American tour. A video for the song "Bloodbound" was made by director Roger Johansson. On 16 October it was reported that HammerFall (along with the band
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
) would be part of the Eurovision song contest. This rumor was refuted by lead singer Joacim Cans only a couple weeks later. Joacim was quoted as saying "So there were no talks whatsoever to be part of this." Their 6th album, titled '' Threshold'', was released on 20 October 2006 and it went directly to a number 1 position on the Swedish charts. On 6 March 2007, a statement was posted online at HammerFall's official website (and his own official website), that bassist Magnus Rosén would not be involved with the band anymore. The reason for his departure stated that he was unhappy in the band and wants to focus on other projects. On his own website (and therefore with his own official statement) it was announced that Magnus was tired of the simple bassplaying he was forced to play in HammerFall, and that he was unable to bring his own material to the band. He now wants to "be more creative in his career". On 10 April it was announced on the official HammerFall homepage that the replacement for Magnus is former member Fredrik Larsson, who played bass on the ''Glory to the Brave'' album. Three new songs were recorded for the band's first compilation album. These are "Last Man Standing", "Restless Soul", and "The Abyss". They also rerecorded the Glory To The Brave track "HammerFall". " Steel Meets Steel - Ten Years of Glory" was released on 12 October 2007. On 2 April 2008
Stefan Elmgren Stefan Elmgren (born 17 May 1974) is the former guitarist of the Swedish power metal band HammerFall from 1997 to 2008. History Before becoming a member of HammerFall, he was the guitarist in the band Highlander. Elmgren has also worked with his s ...
announced his decision to leave HammerFall in order to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His replacement is
Pontus Norgren Karl Pontus Norgren (born 22 April 1968) is the current guitarist of the Swedish power metal band HammerFall and formerly played guitar for The Poodles. Biography Norgren replaced former HammerFall guitarist Stefan Elmgren, who decided to focu ...
from
The Poodles The Poodles were a glam metal/ heavy metal band from Sweden, formed by singer Jakob Samuel (a.k.a. Jake Samuels), bassist Pontus Egberg, guitarist Pontus Norgren and drummer Christian Lundqvist. Their songs include "Metal Will Stand Tall" and " ...
. On 27 June 2008, the band released the compilation album "
Masterpieces A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...
". The album has on it a collection of every song the band has covered, plus three new cover songs previously unreleased. This was
Stefan Elmgren Stefan Elmgren (born 17 May 1974) is the former guitarist of the Swedish power metal band HammerFall from 1997 to 2008. History Before becoming a member of HammerFall, he was the guitarist in the band Highlander. Elmgren has also worked with his s ...
's last release with the band.


''No Sacrifice, No Victory'' and ''Infected'' (2009–2012)

HammerFall's album ''
No Sacrifice, No Victory ''No Sacrifice, No Victory'' is the seventh studio album by Swedish heavy metal band HammerFall, released 20 February 2009. It was partly recorded at PAMA Studios, Torsås and partly at Andy La Rocque's Sonic Train Studios in Varberg. This is ...
'' was released in February 2009. This album features a cover song
My Sharona "My Sharona" () is the debut single by the Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger, and it was released in 1979 from their debut album, '' Get the Knack''. It reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart, w ...
. The Album peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard heatseakers charts. A music video for the song "Any Means Necessary" was released some time before the actual release of the album. To kick off their new album, HammerFall toured all over the world with several support bands, such as fellow Swedish band
Sabaton A sabaton or solleret is part of a knight's body armor that covers the foot. History Fourteenth and fifteenth century sabatons typically end in a tapered point well past the actual toes of the wearer's foot, following fashionable shoe shapes o ...
. In the summer 2010 the band played a couple of high-profile festivals throughout Europe, including
Sonisphere Festival The Sonisphere Festival was a touring rock music festival which took place across Europe between the months of June and August. The festival was owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It was jointly promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live. It ...
,
High Voltage Festival High Voltage was a music festival, held twice in Victoria Park, London. The event hosted artists from various strands of rock music, including classic rock, progressive rock, and heavy metal. The first festival was held on 24 and 25 July 2010. Th ...
,
Metalcamp Metaldays is a heavy metal music festival held annually in Tolmin, Slovenia, since 2004. The festival has been more popular every year with more media coverage and in order to not let it grow too big, in 2010 the tickets were limited to 12,000. ...
,
Graspop Metal Meeting Graspop Metal Meeting is a Belgian heavy metal festival held in Dessel each year since 1996, excluding 2020 and 2021 due to covid restrictions. Despite the small size of the festival grounds (upholding a perimeter of only ~4 km) the festiva ...
and many more. The summer tour was named "Any Festival Necessary". HammerFall's 8th album was released on 18 May 2011 (Sweden), 20 May (Europe), and 7 June (North America), under the name '' Infected''. After several months of recordings in Göteborg, Sweden and Nashville, TN, the new studio album was finally finished in February. The European tour followed, under the name "European Outbreak". ''Infected'' is also the first HammerFall album not to feature the mascot, the knight Hector, on the cover. In 2012, HammerFall recorded a live DVD while performing a show in Dalhalla, Sweden, that featured some former band members as well as other special guests. The DVD celebrated 15 years of the band's existence, and was titled "Gates of Dalhalla". In 2013, HammerFall took a break and some time to spend with their families or side-works. Oscar wrote a book about HammerFall, ''Legenden om HammerFall'' (Swedish: "The Legend of HammerFall), that was released on 24 October and tells of the band's events during the past 16 years, but it still exists only in Swedish.


''(r)Evolution'' and ''Built to Last'' (2014–2017)

HammerFall once again reunited with producer Fredrik Nordström. The vocals were recorded by James Michael. For the mix, Fredrik Nordström spent 3 weeks in his own Studio.
(r)Evolution ''(r)Evolution'' is the ninth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band HammerFall. It was released on 27 August 2014 in Sweden, 29 August in mainland Europe, 1 September in the UK, and 2 September in North America. For the first time since 1998, ...
was released on 29 August 2014, and stormed the charts worldwide, debuting on #1 in Sweden and on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart, as well as reaching Top 5 in several other countries. The subsequent tour, dubbed the World Wide (r)Evolution 2014-15, will see HammerFall return to Latin America together with Edguy and Gotthard, followed by a full European assasult in the beginning of 2015. The band was somewhat distraught when drummer Anders Johansson left shortly after the release of (r)Evolution, but David Wallin (Pain) was brought in as a temporary replacement to ensure that the show would go on. Around the same time, it was also decided that Fredrik would be on parental leave from September 2014 through March 2015. Former guitar player Stefan Elmgren stepped in handled the 4-string duties during that period, making this line-up a unique experience during the Latin American and European tour. In March 2016, the band announced that they had signed with Napalm Records. Their tenth studio album, ''
Built to Last ''Built to Last'' is the thirteenth and final studio album by the Grateful Dead (their twentieth album overall). It was recorded between February 1 and October 20, 1989, and originally released on October 31, 1989. The album was released on CD ...
'', was released on 4 November 2016. On 16 December 2016, David Wallin resigned from the band to focus on his family, and the same day the band introduced their new drummer Johan Koleberg. On 2 September 2017, it was announced that David Wallin's family related issues had been resolved and that he was reinstated into the band.


''Dominion'' and ''Hammer of Dawn'' (2018–present)

On 18 December 2018, HammerFall announced their eleventh studio album ''
Dominion The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 1926 ...
''. It was released on 16 August 2019. Following a major tour in support of the album throughout Europe, and North America as a special guest of the band
Sabaton A sabaton or solleret is part of a knight's body armor that covers the foot. History Fourteenth and fifteenth century sabatons typically end in a tapered point well past the actual toes of the wearer's foot, following fashionable shoe shapes o ...
, the band later announced their live album ''Live! Against the World'' which was released on October 23, 2020. On 19 March 2021, HammerFall announced that they will join
Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weik ...
on a big European tour in 2022 and '23 called United Forces. This tour will see the band supporting their twelfth studio album, ''Hammer of Dawn'', which was released on 25 February 2022. They have released the single "Brotherhood" a day before the album's release.


Band members


Current members

*
Oscar Dronjak Oscar Fredrick Dronjak (born 20 January 1972) is a Swedish guitarist and founder of the heavy metal band HammerFall. Prior to the success of HammerFall, he also played and released albums with the death metal acts Ceremonial Oath and Crystal A ...
– guitars, backing vocals (1993–present) *
Joacim Cans Joacim Cans (born 19 February 1970 in Mora) is a Swedish singer, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band HammerFall. He is the only member aside from founder and guitarist Oscar Dronjak to appear on all of the band's albums. Cans at ...
– lead vocals (1996–present) *Fredrik Larsson – bass (1994–1997, 2007–present) *
Pontus Norgren Karl Pontus Norgren (born 22 April 1968) is the current guitarist of the Swedish power metal band HammerFall and formerly played guitar for The Poodles. Biography Norgren replaced former HammerFall guitarist Stefan Elmgren, who decided to focu ...
– guitars, backing vocals (2008–present) *David Wallin – drums (2014–present) File:Hammerfall Rockharz 2018 31.jpg, Oscar Dronjak File:Hammerfall Rockharz 2018 23.jpg, Joacim Cans File:Hammerfall Rockharz 2018 34.jpg, Fredrik Larsson File:Hammerfall Rockharz 2018 30.jpg, Pontus Norgren


Former members

*
Jesper Strömblad Clas Håkan Jesper Strömblad (born 28 November 1972) is a Swedish musician who is the guitarist of the bands The Halo Effect, Dimension Zero and Cyhra, and formerly of In Flames and The Resistance. He is best known as the founder and former ...
– drums (1993–1996) *
Mikael Stanne Bengt Mikael Stanne (born 20 May 1974) is a Swedish musician, best known as the vocalist and one of the lyricists (as well as a former rhythm guitarist) for the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. Since the departure of origina ...
– lead vocals (1993–1996) *
Niklas Sundin Niklas Sundin (born 13 August 1974 in Gothenburg, Sweden) is a musician of the band Mitochondrial Sun, but was best known as the founding lead guitarist of band Dark Tranquillity (1989–2020). He was also one of the guitarists in the band Laethora ...
– guitars (1993–1995) *
Johan Larsson Johan Larsson may refer to: * Johan Larsson (musician) (born 1974), Swedish bassist * Johan Larsson (ice hockey, born 1986), Swedish ice hockey player * Johan Larsson (ice hockey, born 1992), Swedish ice hockey player, drafted by the Minnesota Wil ...
– bass (1993–1994) *
Glenn Ljungström Glenn Ljungström (born 7 September 1974) is a Swedish co-guitarist from Nödinge-Nol, for a band called The Resistance, since 2011. He was also an ex-guitarist and composer in a few other Swedish bands. He was most notably in heavy metal band ...
– guitars (1995–1997) *
Stefan Elmgren Stefan Elmgren (born 17 May 1974) is the former guitarist of the Swedish power metal band HammerFall from 1997 to 2008. History Before becoming a member of HammerFall, he was the guitarist in the band Highlander. Elmgren has also worked with his s ...
– guitars (1997–2008) *
Magnus Rosén Klas Magnus Rosén is a Swedish musician, born 1963 in Gothenburg. He was the bassist of Swedish band HammerFall from 1997 to 2007. Magnus Rosén started to play bass when he was 15 years old. after playing bass for three years he went on his fir ...
– bass (1997–2007) *Patrik Räfling – drums (1996–1999) * Anders Johansson – drums (1999–2014)


Touring and substitute members

*Pontus Egberg (
The Poodles The Poodles were a glam metal/ heavy metal band from Sweden, formed by singer Jakob Samuel (a.k.a. Jake Samuels), bassist Pontus Egberg, guitarist Pontus Norgren and drummer Christian Lundqvist. Their songs include "Metal Will Stand Tall" and " ...
) – bass (2012) *Stefan Elmgren – bass (2015) *Johan Koleberg - drums (2016-2017)


Timeline


Discography

Studio albums * ''
Glory to the Brave ''Glory to the Brave'' is the debut album by the Swedish heavy metal band HammerFall, released in 1997. Despite the fact that the band was formed in 1993, HammerFall performed mostly live music and covers before this album was released. "Steel ...
'' (1997) * ''
Legacy of Kings ''Legacy of Kings'' is the second album created by the Swedish heavy metal band HammerFall. It was released on 28 September 1998 by Nuclear Blast.The enhanced CD release includes the music video for the track "Let the Hammer Fall", a photo gall ...
'' (1998) * ''
Renegade Renegade or The Renegade may refer to: Aircraft *Lake Renegade, an American amphibious aircraft design *Murphy Renegade, a Canadian ultralight biplane design *Southern Aeronautical Renegade, an American racing aircraft design Games *'' Comman ...
'' (2000) * ''
Crimson Thunder ''Crimson Thunder'' is the fourth studio album released by the Swedish metal band HammerFall. It was the first album the band worked on with producer Charlie Bauerfeind. The cover art was created by Samwise Didier, who is also known for his ''W ...
'' (2002) * '' Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken'' (2005) * '' Threshold'' (2006) * ''
No Sacrifice, No Victory ''No Sacrifice, No Victory'' is the seventh studio album by Swedish heavy metal band HammerFall, released 20 February 2009. It was partly recorded at PAMA Studios, Torsås and partly at Andy La Rocque's Sonic Train Studios in Varberg. This is ...
'' (2009) * '' Infected'' (2011) * ''
(r)Evolution ''(r)Evolution'' is the ninth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band HammerFall. It was released on 27 August 2014 in Sweden, 29 August in mainland Europe, 1 September in the UK, and 2 September in North America. For the first time since 1998, ...
'' (2014) * ''
Built to Last ''Built to Last'' is the thirteenth and final studio album by the Grateful Dead (their twentieth album overall). It was recorded between February 1 and October 20, 1989, and originally released on October 31, 1989. The album was released on CD ...
'' (2016) * ''
Dominion The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 1926 ...
'' (2019) * ''Hammer of Dawn'' (2022)


Awards and nominations

Metal Hammer Awards (GER) , - , 2015 , , HammerFall , , Maximum Metal , ,


References


External links


Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:HammerFall 1993 establishments in Sweden Musical groups established in 1993 Musical groups from Gothenburg Musical quintets Napalm Records artists Swedish power metal musical groups