All of us have some deeply hidden love for a couple of bands out there. After all, there will always be outfits that dangerously balance over originality and retro-nostalgia. Having said that, Hammerfall is definitely one of my favorite bands that has never failed me as every single release of theirs has something to offer to the ever faithful metal listener. I was kinda curious in regards with what the boys would come up with in their first offering with Napalm Records. Every scarce trace of worry absolutely vanished by the sheer listening of the first couple of songs that Hammerfall offered to its fans: we are talking about “Hammer High” and “The Sacred Vow” which had all the trademark Hammerfall sonic elements.
The differential points between “Built To Last” with its predecessor are not that many and important. It follows the same path and maybe this time around the new record has more classic Hammerfall songs compared to “(r)Evolution”. For instance, the aforementioned “Hammer High” and “The Sacred Vow” could have easily been outtakes of the “Crimson Thunder” album while the same applies to the excellent ballad “Twilight Princess” which is in the same vein as “Always Will Be” and “Dreams Come True”. But, the most remarkable moment on the album is, by far, the title track that reminds a lot the anthemic character of “The Way Of The Warrior”. Yes, there are some inferior moments in there that I could have lived without (like “The Star Of Home”) but I truly believe that the Swedish quintet has done a hell of a job and all their fans should be really proud and carry on pounding the Hector hammer! Bring It!
Highlight: Napalm Records has released a very limited edition of the album that includes a bonus DVD and a Hector figurine (Collector’s Alert”)!
