HammerFall – No Sacrifice, No Victory

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There was a certain amount of stagnation about HammerFall’s sound on last album Threshold after two consistently strong albums in Crimson Thunder and Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. That stale sense has continued with this album. Unmemorable riffs, lacking the punch of most of Crimson Thunder, the same tired lyrics and disappointing little evidence of Pontus Norgren’s involvement on guitar. The acoustic ballad Between Two Worlds is an unexpected highlight, while the Scorpions rock of the title track is a low point. Bring The Hammer Down is probably the closest they come to a concert anthem, and closer One of A Kind manages to create an epic feel in only six minutes with its slow lead guitar mid-section and big solo towards the end. The less said about the bonus track cover of My Sharona the better. Just like Threshold this album fails to impress overall. It’s more of the same in the sense of having heard it all before, rather than in the sense of just new songs in the usual style.

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Power Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, HammerFall