ALBUM REVIEW: Dominion – HammerFall

When one thinks of Sweden’s impact on the world of metal, it general veers towards two areas. One is the melodic death movement made famous by the likes of IN FLAMES and AMON AMARTH, the other is the grandiose, high-shrilled scream of power metal from the likes of SABATON and NOCTURNAL RITES. It’s the latter of these that is on show here and from one of the best bands to have ever performed the genre; HAMMERFALL. The Gothenburg heavyweights have been at the very front of the movement for over a quarter of a century and are showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. Their output during that time has been very prolific as well, with new record Dominion their eleventh studio album and their second on Napalm Records, flying into the world later this month.

At this point, HAMMERFALL could become a conveyor belt, churning out albums that were power metal-by-numbers and, whilst not setting the world alight, would suffice for their hardcore fans until the next record came around. But HAMMERFALL are not like that, far from it. Opening track Never Forget, Never Forgive might stray a little close to JUDAS PRIEST territory, but it’s certainly enough to show that the band are not about to rest on their laurels any time soon. The follow up title track, released as a single, sees a RAMMSTEIN-like riff packaged NOWBHM-style and coupled with a soaring chorus, complimenting each other very well indeed and resulting in a strong beginning for Dominion.

Make no mistake, HAMMERFALL know their way around a chorus, something evident from the fist-pumping, anthemic hooks that abound within the album; Testify is one example, surrounded by a twin lead solo straight out of the IRON MAIDEN scrapbook. You can also include the likes of Scars of a Guardian and Chain of Command in the circle as well, both having the punch and deliver to bring audiences into the sky and riding off into battle.

So far, so good, but Dominion doesn’t represent a home run for HAMMERFALL; power metal has always been a bit silly, but there’s a fine line between heartwarming goofiness and out-and-out absurdity. One Against the World just falls on the other side of this with its saccharine tone and less-than-bravado verses whilst lead single (We Make) Sweden Rock is as pompous as it sounds and is slathered in a huge amount of cheese. That said, they do enough to just about pull through; the biggest downfalls are the two ballads. Second To None is poorly placed in the middle of the record, losing all momentum gained up to that point amidst pianos and a serious lack of bite. Album closer And Yet I Smile is in a much stronger position track-listing wise which helps its cause, but the soppy flute intro and cringe-worthy lyrics do very little and end the record on a bit of a damp note; deep within, you know that HAMMERFALL are much better than this.

Aside from those couple of misfires though, it’s another slab of power metal goodness from HAMMERFALL and one that won’t trouble their legacy or current trajectory. Already firmly recognised as one of the best in the genre, Dominion will see another ludicrous display of hands thrown to the high heavens and voices bellowing every word when these songs are played live, and for that reason alone it’s another job well done; not HAMMERFALL‘s best album by any stretch, but by no means their worst.

Rating: 7/10

Dominion is set for release August 16th via Napalm Records. 

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