CEREMONIAL OATH, the reunited late ’80s/early ’90s Swedish extreme metal band whose members went on to create or join such acclaimed acts as IN FLAMES, HAMMERFALL and TIAMAT, played their first show in 20 years on January 4 at the inaugural edition of the Gothenburg Sound Festival at Trädgår’n in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The band’s setlist was as follows:
01. Sworn To Avenge (intro)
02. The Invocator
03. For I Have Sinned/The Praise
04. Enthroned
05. Only Evil Prevails
06. Thunderworld (Welcome To Forever)
07. Lords Of Twilight
08. Ceremonial Oath
09. The Lost Name Of God
10. The Book Of Thruth
11. Hellbound
12. Submit To Death (GROTESQUE cover with Tomas Lindberg on vocals)
A review of the concert, including live photos, can be found at this location.
Formed in 1988 under the name DESECRATOR, CEREMONIAL OATH released three demos, one EP and two full-length albums before calling it quits in 1995. The band’s former members include such internationally recognized names as Anders Fridén (IN FLAMES), Oscar Dronjak (HAMMERFALL), Jesper Strömblad (IN FLAMES) and Anders Iwers (TIAMAT).
CEREMONIAL OATH has inked a deal with Century Media Records for the re-release of the majority of its catalog, up to and including the 1993 CD “The Book Of Truth”. A remixed version of the latter effort will be made available on January 28.
CEREMONIAL OATH is:
Oscar Dronjak (HAMMERFALL): Guitar, vocals Anders Iwers (TIAMAT): Guitar Jesper Strömblad (IN FLAMES, DIMENSION ZERO): Bass Markus Nordberg (THE CHUCK NORRIS EXPERIMENT): Drums
More CEREMONIAL OATH dates will be announced soon.
Photo credit: Daniel Falk of FramedNoise.com (courtesy of CEREMONIAL OATH‘s Facebook page)
“Gates Of Dalhalla”, the new DVD from Swedish melodic metallers HAMMERFALL, has entered the Swedish “Music DVD” chart at position No. 4. As previously reported, the set also landed on the German “Music DVD” chart at No. 6.
“Gates Of Dalhalla” was released as a DVD+2CD and Blu-ray+2CD on November 30 via Nuclear Blast. The set will feature the band’s extraordinary 135-minute 15th-anniversary show that took place on July 28 on the historic open-air stage Dalhalla, built in an old quarry near the small Swedish village Rättvik. The footage was captured by Swedish director Patric Ullaeus of the Revolver Film Company AB, who has previously worked with IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, EUROPE and LACUNA COIL, among many others.
Commented HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak: “The set contained 26 tracks and lasted two hours and 15 minutes, by far the longest and most comprehensive gig of our entire career! We played songs from every album and then some. There were lots of guests and pyros, and we had 80 Marshall cabinets and the big shield with the HF logo carved out in the middle hanging brought out of storage, all set in an extremely unique venue. You really have to see it to understand. This concert really captured the essence of HAMMERFALL live in 2012 very well!”
Special guests during the concert included original HAMMERFALL members Jesper Strömblad (IN FLAMES) and Mikael Stanne (DARK TRANQUILLITY), as well as ex-HAMMERFALL guitarist Stefan Elmgren.
Added Oscar: “Everything concerning this release is special: the venue, the occasion, the setlist, the guests. If you are going to celebrate something, do it properly, and this is exactly what we have done. HAMMERFALL with extra everything, 100% live, 0% bullshit.”
The setlist for the concert was as follows:
01. Patient Zero
02. Heeding The Call
03. Any Means Necessary
04. B.Y.H.
05. Riders Of The Storm
06. Let’s Get It On
07. Crimson Thunder
08. Renegade
09. Blood Bound (special guest: Stefan Elmgren)
10. Last Man Standing (special guest: Stefan Elmgren)
11. Fury Of The Wild (special guest: Stefan Elmgren)
12. Drum Solo: Anders Johansson
13. Always Will Be
14. Dia De Los Muertos
15. Steel Meets Steel (special guest: Mikael Stanne)
16. Threshold
17. The Dragon Lies Bleeding (special guest: Jesper Strömblad)
18. Let The Hammer Fall
19. När Vindarna Viskar Mitt Namn (special guest: Roger Pontare)
20. Something For The Ages
21. The Templar Flame
22. Oh Fortuna (special guest: Team Cans)
23. Glory To The Brave (special guest: Team Cans)
24. One More Time (special guest: Team Cans)
25. Hammerfall
26. Hearts On Fire (featuring all special guests)
The “Hammerfall” performance clip from “Gates Of Dalhalla” can be seen below.
The members of HAMMERFALL announced in March that they were take an extended break immediately following their festival appearances this summer.
“It has been an unbelievable first 15 years, to say the least,” said guitarist Oscar Dronjak, “and now we are taking a pause to ensure that we have another 15 years ahead of us.”
There will be no HAMMERFALL activities in 2013, but the band promises to return strong the following year. “The plan is to use the year off to recharge our batteries and come back more vital than ever with a new album in 2014,” explained singer Joacim Cans.
HAMMERFALL‘s new album, “Infected”, sold around 1,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD debuted at No. 16 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
Gothenburg, Sweden’s METAL MONARCHS – a tribute to heavy metal featuring members of HAMMERFALL, DREAMLAND and DRAGONLAND – will reunite for a run of shows in 2013.
Following a lengthy hiatus, the band are ready to roll once again, stating: “Now it’s time to take the classic metal to the masses again.”
Formed in the fall of 2003 by Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall) and Mats Rendlert (Dreamland), with Jesse Lindskog (Dragonland) and Eric Rauti (Dreamland) joining shortly thereafter. Dan Cardesjö (THE BREEDING) was enlisted on vocals, and this five-some performed numerous times together throughout 2004. Dan was replaced by Jonas Heidgert (Dragonland) in the beginning of 2006, expanding the number of songs the guys could execute extensively with his wide vocal range.
The object was – and still very much is – to play songs they love from their favourite bands, trying to come as close to the original as possible. That includes the little nuances in tone in guitar solos, drum fills, the wailing on the vocals etc. Being the die-hard heavy metal fans they are, having enjoyed listening to the songs thousands of times collectively, this is very important. And that is where the tribute aspect comes in. The name Metal Monarchs is a play off of MANOWAR’s Kings Of Metal, but instead of referring to themselves, it’s the songs being performed that the monicker is aimed at.
Metal Monarchs lineup:
Vocals: Jonas Heidgert (Dragonland, DESTINY)
Guitar: Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall)
Guitar: Eric Rauti (Dreamland, TORCH)
Bass: Mats Rendlert (Dreamland, SANDALINAS)
Drums: Jesse Lindskog (Dragonland)
HAMMERFALL have announced that 2112, IN FLAMES members Peter Iwers’ (bass) and Björn Gelotte’s (guitar) restaurant in Gothenburg, Sweden, is hosting a release party for the band’s Gates Of Dalhalla DVD and their Crimson XII HammerFall wine, on Thursday, December 13th.
Says the band: “Come and enjoy some food and drink, and celebrate 15 years with us Christmas style!”
HammerFall Crimson XII is a Barbera d’Asti D.O.C.G. from Cantina Sant’Evasio, Piemonte in Italy. Wine is made by 100% Barbera.
On the occasion of their well-deserved time-out in 2012/13, a testimonial of HammerFall’s on-stage power in a DVD+2CD format was released on November 30th. For this, the extraordinary 135 minutes long 15-year anniversary show that took place on July 28th on the historic open-air stage Dalhalla, built in an old quarry near the small Swedish village Rättvik, was captured on camera.
Watch Hamerfall’s live performance of their classic ‘Hammerfall’ to get an impression of the visually stunning show that Gates Of Dalhalla holds in store for you:
Moreover, you can now download the song’s audio live version for free at this location.
Video footage for the track ‘Threshold’, featured on the upcoming release, can be seen below:
Nuclear Blast announces that Joacim Cans, vocalist of the Swedish metal band HAMMERFALL is confirmed to play the part of “Dennis Dupree” in the Swedish stage version of the award winning smash hit musical “Rock of Ages”. Cans gave following statement about the show: “I am very psyched and honored to be part of this fantastic hard rock musical. Not only will I explore a brand new genre, but I will also get to try my acting skills and perform with the Swedish elite when it comes to both comedy, acting and singing”.
„Rock of Ages“ is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D’Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister and Europe, among other well-known rock bands. Set in LA’s infamous Sunset Strip in 1987, ROCK OF AGES tells the story of Drew, a boy from South Detroit, and Sherrie, a small-town girl, both in LA to chase their dreams of making it big and falling in love. This five-time Tony Award nominated musical takes you back to the times of big bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair!
The show premieres at “Chinateatern” in Stockholm on February 21 2013.
On the upcoming Friday, the new HAMMERFALL DVD “Gates Of Dalhalla” will be released. The DVD was recorded and dircted by Patric Ullaeus (Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, In Flames a.o.). It will be released as a DVD/2CD and Blu-Ray/2CD
Nuclear Blast has announced that before the Swedes of HAMMERFALL will take their well-deserved break in 2013 in order to recharge their batteries and to return stronger than ever in 2014, they’ll offer their fans a high-class DVD/BluRay+2CD live testimonial. “Gates Of Dalhalla” (out on November 30) contains the entire extensive anniversary show that took place on the 28th of July 2012 on the magnificent open-air stage of Dalhalla, Sweden, plus exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.
Watch HAMMERFALL’s live performance of their classic “Threshold” to get a first impression of the visually stunning show that “Gates Of Dalhalla” holds in store for you:
Moreover, you can now download the song’s audio live version for free via HAMMERFALL’s official Nuclear Blast band page: http://bit.ly/RvtBMJ
Swedish HAMMERFALL has released the second trailer for their upcoming Live DVD/2CD, Blu-Ray/2CD “Gates Of Dalhalla”, out on November 30th, can now be viewed below.
For this, the extraordinary 135 minutes long 15-year anniversary show that took place on the 28th of July on the historic open-air stage Dalhalla, built in an old quarry near the small Swedish village Rättvik, was captured on camera.
Prominent guests included original HAMMERFALL line-up members Jesper Strömblad and Mikael Stanne, as well as ex-guitarist Stefan Elmgren, among others, which made the show unforgettable – also for the musicians themselves.
The DVD was recorded and dircted by Patric Ullaeus (Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, In Flames a.o.). It will be released as a DVD/2CD and Blu-Ray/2CD
The first HAMMERFALL trailer for their upcoming Live DVD/2CD, Blu-Ray/2CD „Gates Of Dalhalla“ – out on November 30th – can now be watched online under the following link:
For this, the extraordinary 135 minutes long 15-year anniversary show that took place on the 28th of July on the historic open-air stage Dalhalla, built in an old quarry near the small Swedish village Rättvik, was captured on camera.
Prominent guests included original HAMMERFALL line-up members Jesper Strömblad and Mikael Stanne, as well as ex-guitarist Stefan Elmgren, among others, which made the show unforgettable – also for the musicians themselves.
The DVD was recorded and dircted by Patric Ullaeus (Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, In Flames a.o.). It will be released as a DVD/2CD and Blu-Ray/2CD
On the occasion of their well-deserved time-out in 2012/13, after which the quintet will return stronger than ever, a testimonial of HAMMERFALL’s on-stage power in a DVD+2CD format will be released on November 30th. For this, the extraordinary 135 minutes long 15-year anniversary show that took place on the 28th of July on the historic open-air stage Dalhalla, built in an old quarry near the small Swedish village Rättvik, was captured on camera.
Oscar Dronjak comments: “The set contained 26 tracks and lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes, by far the longest and most comprehensive gig of our entire career! We played songs from every album and then some, there were lots of guests and pyros, and we had 80 Marshall cabinets and the big shield with the HF logo carved out in the middle hanging brought out of storage, all set in an extremely unique venue. You really have to see it to understand, this concert really captured the essence of HammerFall live in 2012 very well!”
Prominent guests included original HAMMERFALL line-up members Jesper Strömblad and Mikael Stanne, as well as ex-guitarist Stefan Elmgren, among others, which made the show unforgettable – also for the musicians themselves. “Everything concerning this release is special: the venue, the occasion, the setlist, the guests. If you are going to celebrate something, do it properly, and this is exactly what we have done. HAMMERFALL with extra everything, 100% live, 0% bullshit“, says Oscar.
“Gates Of Dalhalla” is far more than just a live DVD/Blu-Ray: It’s the ultimate proof that the Swedes, after 15 years of bringing heavy metal to the people, still are the undisputed kings of their genre.
The setlist of this very special show:
Patient Zero
Heeding The Call
Any Means Necessary
B.Y.H.
Riders Of The Storm
Let’s Get It On
Crimson Thunder
Renegade
Blood Bound (Special Guest: Stefan Elmgren)
Last Man Standing (Special Guest: Stefan Elmgren)
Fury Of The Wild (Special Guest: Stefan Elmgren)
Drum solo: Anders Johansson
Always Will Be
Dia De Los Muertos
Steel Meets Steel (Special Guest: Mikael Stanne)
Threshold
The Dragon Lies Bleeding (Special Guest: Jesper Strömblad)
Let The Hammer Fall
När Vindarna Viskar Mitt Namn (Special Guest: Roger Pontare)
Something For The Ages
The Templar Flame
Oh Fortuna (Special Guest: Team Cans)
Glory To The Brave (Special Guest: Team Cans)
One More Time (Special Guest: Team Cans)
HammerFall
Hearts On Fire (featuring all Special Guests)
The DVD was recorded and dircted by Patric Ullaeus (Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, In Flames a.o.).
It will be released as a DVD/2-CD and Blu-Ray/2-CD
BLACK featuring – former BLACK SABBATH singer Tony Martin, ex-HAMMERFALL bassist Magnus Rosén and KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy LaRocque and drummer Danny Needham (VENOM) – are currently mixing material for their debut album at LaRocque’s Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden. Check out the new band logo below:
Rosén checks in with BraveWords.com: “We are mixing the first songs with Black, then we will look for a recording deal. We have a few labels interested right now, but we are making sure that we find someone that can work with us for a long time. This is not a project, this is a band. So we hope we are on the road some time next year if all goes well.”
