The day has come to celebrate the release of HAMMERFALL’s new live album & BluRay, Live! Against The World! In a time when live shows are missed the most, the undisputed masters of ground-breaking anthems and unforgettable live shows deliver an outstanding testimony of power, energy and glory to the templars around the globe!
Recorded on February 15th at the MHP Arena in Ludwigsburg, Germany, Live! Against The Worldcontains songs fresh off their latest album, Dominion, mixed with a ton of band classics and a hand-picked selection of songs that rarely appear on HAMMERFALL’s setlists to fulfill the needs of both new and old fans.
Singer Joacim Cans on the album release: “The thing with live releases is, they need to feel authentic, and LIVE! Against The World captures exactly what a live show with HammerFall is all about.“
To celebrate the album release, the band around singer Joacim Cans and founding member/guitarist Oscar Dronjak have released the third video off the new album, the epic live version of the legendary “Any Means Necessary”.
Guitarist and founding member Oscar Dronjak on the new video: “’Any Means Necessary’ has been a staple of our repertoire since it came out. This video shows really well why, it’s one of these songs that gets both audience and band going no matter what.”
With absolutely impressive, grand live production, huge arenas and overwhelming pyrotechnics, HAMMERFALL, took over the world in 2019/2020 with their World Dominiontour. On this bombastic tour, they did not only celebrate the worldwide charting success of their freshly released 2019 studio album Dominion, but also the jubilee of the legendary Renegade album, by adding an impressive Renegade medley to the setlist, capturing the highly energetic spirit of HAMMERFALL.
HAMMERFALL have just released a second video for “Keep The Flame Burning”, which perfectly captures the highly energetic spirit of HAMMERFALL’s new live album & BluRay, Live! Against The World. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of their chart-storming album Renegade (2000), the song, which rarely appears on their setlists, shines in a bright new light and pushes live productions to the next level.
With absolutely impressive, grand live production, huge arenas and overwhelming pyrotechnics, HAMMERFALL, the Swedish saviors of Heavy Metal, took over the world in 2019/2020 with their World Dominion tour. On this bombastic tour, they did not only celebrate the worldwide charting success of their freshly released 2019 studio album Dominon, but also the jubilee of the legendary Renegade album, by adding “Keep The Flame Burning” and an impressive Renegade medley to the setlist.
HAMMERFALL are on the rise with Joacim Cans’ distinctive voice and flawlessly executed guitar parts, which finalize this live record of the legendary show at the MHP Arena in Ludwigsburg, Germany – there’s magic in the air!
Guitarist and founding member Oscar Dronjak on the new video: “It’s the 20th anniversary of Renegade, and to celebrate that accordingly we included some special songs in the set list. One of my all-time favourite songs is “Keep The Flame Burning”, and it was so cool to see it return after so many years’ absence!”
The undisputed masters of ground-breaking anthems and unforgettable live shows, HAMMERFALL, will release their new live epos Live! Against The World via Napalm Records on October 23, 2020.
Recorded on February 15th at the MHP Arena in Ludwigsburg, Germany, Live! Against The World contains songs fresh off their latest album Dominion, mixed with a ton of band classics and a hand-picked selection of songs that rarely appear on HAMMERFALL’s setlists to fulfill the needs of both new and old fans.
The band around singer Joacim Cans and guitarist Oscar Dronjak did not only celebrate the great charting success of Dominion, but also the 20th Birthday of their legendary Renegade album with a phenomenal medley during the nearly two hour long concert. The show had everyone on their feet and banging their heads within no time and marks one of the many unforgettable evenings of pure Swedish Heavy Metal in the legendary HAMMERFALL manner.
Singer Joacim Cans on Live! Against The World: “We Are HAMMERFALL And This Is What We Do! I am so damn proud that we are able to present a full blown, up-to-date, live show in these extremely difficult times. A time when real live shows in front of a ”real” live audience have ceased to exist. The show at MHP Arena Ludwigsburg was nothing but epic and really captured the strength and power of the band as a live act and shows the joy we are experiencing together on stage every night, no matter where we play. This is the biggest stage production we ever had and now you can experience this at home anywhere, at any time. HAMMERFALL is and always will be a live band and together with the greatest fans in the world we are an unstoppable force!”
Guitarist Oscar Dronjak adds: “The live act that HAMMERFALL is right now blows everything we have done previously out of the water, and I am super happy that we got to document it in this way on the biggest tour we have ever done. The setlist speaks for itself, every album is represented with at least one song; there’s stuff we have never performed live before, songs we haven’t played in a long time and of course all the classics. It’s a great testament to where we stand today, and an added bonus is that we finally got to record something major in Germany, in front of the fans who have been with us literally since day one.”
Pre-Order your copy of Live! Against The WorldNOW!
Adding in classics like “Any Means Necessary”, “Last Man Standing” and “Let The Hammer Fall” that show off HAMMERFALL’s legendary prowess on both vocals and instruments, the performance continues on to be both surprising and astounding. Special guest Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast) made it possible for HAMMERFALL to display their emotional side with their power ballad “Second To One” live on stage. The show ends with the one song that belongs in every HAMMERFALL experience: the beautiful and heavy “Hearts On Fire”.
Tracklist: 1. Never Forgive, Never Forget 2. One Against the World 3. Heeding the Call 4. The Way of the Warrior 5. Any Means Necessary 6. Hallowed Be My Name 7. Blood Bound 8. Redemption 9. Hector’s Hymn 10. Natural High 11. Second to One 12. Renegade Medley 13. Keep the Flame Burning 14. Dominion 15. The Dragon Lies Bleeding 16. Last Man Standing 17. Let the Hammer Fall 18. Hammer High 19. (We Make) Sweden Rock 20. Hearts on Fire
Swedish saviors of Heavy Metal are back: the undisputed masters of ground-breaking anthems and unforgettable live shows, HAMMERFALL, will release their new live epos Live! Against The World via Napalm Records on October 23, 2020.
With an absolutely impressive, grand live production, huge arenas and overwhelming pyro shows, HAMMERFALL took over the world in 2019/2020 with their World Dominion tour. Now, they make their splendor available to every Templar around the globe. Recorded on February 15th at the MHP Arena in Ludwigsburg, Germany, Live! Against The World contains songs fresh off their latest album Dominion, mixed with a ton of band classics and a hand-picked selection of songs that rarely appear on HAMMERFALL’s setlists to fulfill the needs of both new and old fans.
The band around singer Joacim Cans and guitarist Oscar Dronjak did not only celebrate the great charting success of Dominion, but also the 20th Birthday of their legendary Renegade album with a phenomenal medley during the nearly two hour long concert. The show had everyone on their feet and banging their heads within no time and marks one of the many unforgettable evenings of pure Swedish Heavy Metal in the legendary HAMMERFALL manner.
Singer Joacim Cans on Live! Against The World: “We Are HAMMERFALL And This Is What We Do! I am so damn proud that we are able to present a full blown, up-to-date, live show in these extremely difficult times. A time when real live shows in front of a ”real” live audience have ceased to exist. The show at MHP Arena Ludwigsburg was nothing but epic and really captured the strength and power of the band as a live act and shows the joy we are experiencing together on stage every night, no matter where we play. This is the biggest stage production we ever had and now you can experience this at home anywhere, at any time. HAMMERFALL is and always will be a live band and together with the greatest fans in the world we are an unstoppable force!”
Guitarist Oscar Dronjak adds: “The live act that HAMMERFALL is right now blows everything we have done previously out of the water, and I am super happy that we got to document it in this way on the biggest tour we have ever done. The setlist speaks for itself, every album is represented with at least one song; there’s stuff we have never performed live before, songs we haven’t played in a long time and of course all the classics. It’s a great testament to where we stand today, and an added bonus is that we finally got to record something major in Germany, in front of the fans who have been with us literally since day one.”
Watch the Video for “Never Forgive, Never Forget”HERE:
HAMMERFALL‘s bombastic new live epos Live! Against The World starts off with the smashing song and first single “Never Forgive, Never Forget” fresh from the latest studio album Dominion (2019). The Swedish Heavy Metal institution presents itself in top shape and starts the show in Ludwigsburg, Germany with a big bang – they take the screaming templars by storm. This absolutely impressively produced live version of one of their biggest new hits marked one of the highlights of the legendary show at the MHP Arena.
Pre-Order your copy of Live! Against The WorldNOW!
Adding in classics like “Any Means Necessary”, “Last Man Standing” and “Let The Hammer Fall” that show off HAMMERFALL’s legendary prowess on both vocals and instruments, the performance continues on to be both surprising and astounding. Special guest Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast) made it possible for HAMMERFALL to display their emotional side with their power ballad “Second To One” live on stage. The show ends with the one song that belongs in every HAMMERFALL experience: the beautiful and heavy “Hearts On Fire”.
Tracklist: 1. Never Forgive, Never Forget 2. One Against the World 3. Heeding the Call 4. The Way of the Warrior 5. Any Means Necessary 6. Hallowed Be My Name 7. Blood Bound 8. Redemption 9. Hector’s Hymn 10. Natural High 11. Second to One 12. Renegade Medley 13. Keep the Flame Burning 14. Dominion 15. The Dragon Lies Bleeding 16. Last Man Standing 17. Let the Hammer Fall 18. Hammer High 19. (We Make) Sweden Rock 20. Hearts on Fire
HAMMERFALL have revealed a new version of their beautiful, energetic ballad, “Second to One”, featuring Noora Louhimo of Battle Beast. The original track was featured on HAMMERFALL’s chart-breaking album Dominion, which was released in August 2019 via Napalm Records. Noora Louhimo’s bittersweet vocals compliment Joacim Cans’ equally multifaceted performance, making this duet a true musical highlight of the new year. Beautiful harmonies, emotional storytelling and powerful vocal lines weave throughout the song and will light your way in dark times. The song preaches themes of trusting your instincts and following your own heart, as well as taking time for yourself.
Guitarist Oscar Dronjak on “Second to One”: “It all started with Joacim suggesting we should try to write a song together with our long time producer James Michael. We went over to Los Angeles for a weekend, not knowing what to expect. Within the first 30 minutes, I played an idea I had for James. He immediately responded with some chords and melodies, and we took it from there. Together, we wrote the music in just a couple of hours and met the next day to just finalize all the details. That’s how fast it can go sometimes when you get a feeling for something and the snowball just starts rolling, and it’s the greatest feeling in the world! The ‘hit-or-miss’ weekend in this case definitely turned out as a hit!”
Singer Joacim Cans on the duet: “Already during the writing process I had the feeling this song would be perfect as a duet – a sort of modern ‘Ozzy & Lita Ford’. I have had my eye on Battle Beast and Noora Louhimo for quite some time and was blown away by her vocal skills and stage presence. I had a feeling our voices would be a perfect match. When we decided to make the duet idea reality, I just picked up the phone and called Noora who instantly said ‘Hell Yeah!’ Working with Noora was nothing but awesome and we bonded the second we met. Not only is she an extremely talented vocalist, she is also a fantastic human being. The great connection between Noora and I really shows in the video clip for the song.”
Noora Louhimo on the duet and the video shooting: “I was contacted by Joacim and asked if I wanted to do a duet with him on “Second to One”. My first thought was ‘what an honor’ and that I needed to listen to this song to make my final decision. Once I heard it, I knew it was going to be something special and agreed on the collaboration. I flew to Gothenburg for the sessions and even though I hadn’t met Joacim or the others from Hammerfall before, it felt very natural and easy to work with them. I also agree with Joacim that we hit it off right away and you can see that in the music video how comfortable things were between us. I am so excited to be part of this and to go on tour with them with Battle Beast in the end of January.”
Watch The Emotional Video For “Second to One”here!
The marvelous audiovisual was directed by Patric Ullaeus, who has worked as a director for almost thirty years and has collaborated with numerous bands like In Flames, Europe and Within Temptation over the years.
Digitally Available On All Streaming Platforms TODAY!
The Swedish heavy metal icons and special guest Battle Beast will meet again on the European run of HAMMERFALL’s monumental World Dominion Tour throughout Europe, starting on January 30. Get the 7” vinyl (strictly limited to 750) of “Second to One” including a karaoke version of the track exclusively on tour! Tickets are selling out fast – get yours now!
HAMMERFALL
World Dominion Tour 2020
Europe w/ Battle Beast, Serious Black
30.01.20 DE – Bremen / Aladin
31.01.20 DE – Hamburg / Sporthalle
01.02.20 DE – Osnabrück / Hydepark
02.02.20 DE – Oberhausen / Turbinenhalle
03.02.20 NL – Nijmegen / Doornroosje
05.02.20 BE – Antwerp / TRIX
06.02.20 DE – Saarbrücken / Garage
07.02.20 DE – Munich / Tonhalle
08.02.20 DE – Kaufbeuren / All Kart Halle
09.02.20 IT – Milan / Live Club
11.02.20 DE – Langen / Stadthalle
12.02.20 DE – Leipzig / Werk 2
13.02.20 CZ – Prague / Forum Karlin
14.02.20 DE – Bamberg / Brose Arena
15.02.20 DE – Ludwigsburg / MHP Arena
16.02.20 CH – Pratteln / Z7
18.02.20 PL – Warsaw / Progresja
19.02.20 PL – Krakow / Studio
20.02.20 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra
21.02.20 AT – Graz / Orpheum
22.02.20 AT – Vienna / Gasometer
23.02.20 DE – Berlin / Huxley’s Neue Welt
25.02.20 RU – St Petersburg / Cosmonaut
26.02.20 RU – Moscow / Glavclub
28.02.20 BY – Minsk / RePublic Club
29.02.20 UA – Kiev / Atlas Club
w/ Dragonforce
24.03.20 DK – Odense / Posten
25.03.20 DK – Aarhus / Train
26.03.20 DK – Copenhagen / Amager Bio
27.03.20 SE – Gothenburg / Partille Arena
28.03.20 SE – Stockholm / Annexet
North America w/ Beast In Black, Edge of Paradise
14.09.20 US – West Palm Beach, FL / Kelsey Theatre
15.09.20 US – Tampa, FL / Orpheum
26.09.20 US – Atlanta, GA / The Masquerade
18.09.20 US – San Antonio, TX / Rock Box
19.09.20 US – Dallas, TX / Trees
20.09.20 US – Houston, TX / Scout Bar
22.09.20 US – Tempe, AZ / Club Red
23.09.20 US – Anaheim, CA / City National Grove
24.09.20 US – Oakland, CA / Oakland Metro
25.09.20 US – Portland, OR / Hawthorne Theatre
26.09.20 US – Seattle, WA / El Corazon
27.09.20 CA – Vancouver, BC / Rickshaw Theatre
29.09.20 CA – Calgary, AB / Dickens
30.09.20 CA – Edmonton, AB / The Starlite Room
02.10.20 US – Salt Lake City, UT / Liquid Joe’s
03.10.20 US – Englewood, CO / Gothic Theater
05.10.20 US – Minneapolis, MN / The Cabooze
06.10.20 US – Racine, WI / Rt 20
07.10.20 US – Chicago, IL / Concord Music Hall
08.10.20 US – Westland, MI / Token Lounge
09.10.20 US – Cincinnati, OH / Riverfront Live
10.10.20 US – Cleveland, OH / Agora Ballroom
11.10.20 CA – Toronto, ON / MOD Club
12.10.20 CA – Montreal, QC / Corona Theatre
13.10.20 CA – Quebec, QC / Imperial
15.10.20 US – Poughkeepsie, NY / The Chance
16.10.20 US – Worcester, MA / The Palladium
17.10.20 US – New York, NY / Gramercy Theatre
18.10.20 US – Philadelphia, PA / Theatre of Living Arts
19.10.20 US – Silver Spring, MD / The Filmore
Dominion is HAMMERFALL’s eleventh studio album and second with Napalm Records, and hit the charts worldwide. Dominion is available as CD, Vinyl, and a limited edition Deluxe Box Set consisting of a digipack, limited 7” light blue vinyl, limited cassette, cover art print, photo cards, patch and sticker.
For The Metal Voice ( https://www.facebook.com/themetalvoice) former Anthrax singer Neil Turbin spoke to Hammerfall guitarist Oscar Dronjakat The Wiltern in Los Angeles CA on October 11 2019 as the band opened for Sabaton on their North American tour. Dronjakspoke about the bands new album Dominion and Tour.
Watch the interview here:
When asked about what he did different in terms of songwriting on their new album Dominion that they didn’t do on their last album
“On the new album we planned ahead, on the last album ‘Built to Last’ we weren’t really ready, we didn’t have the time to write the songs and to let them mature. On Dominion I started writing the songs earlier I tried to write different ways, like on tour for example which I never did before but I realized that it was really rewarding to do it that way. With the ‘Built To Last’ Album it was a rush I couldn’t enjoy the songs I was writing because I had to finish the songs so we could record them. For Dominion we were finished everything several months before the recordings sessions were suppose to begin. It also meant we had time to go through the songs and pay attention to the details and when we recorded the songs we didn’t have to experiment a lot we knew exactly what we were supposed to do. And in the end it helped to create a relaxed atmosphere. If you record something and you are relaxed you can put all that energy you have into that moment when you are playing and that made the album sound the way it does.”
When asked about Joacim Cans consistent vocals abilities night after night
“Joacim is takes care of his voice he does warm ups everyday before the shows. He also doesn’t scream, he sings with the proper technique which makes his voice last a lot longer. He is 49 years old now and he sounds better than ever. I have recorded so many albums with Joacim and every time we are in the studio I get goosebumps when he sings. His voice is getting better with every album.”
“Dominion” was released August 16 via Napalm Records.
HAMMERFALL “Dominion” was released August 16 via Napalm Records. For “Dominion”, HAMMERFALL re-teamed with James Michael to do vocals at Red Level Three studios, and Fredrik Nordström of Studio Fredman at Castle Black Studios for the instruments on the 12-song collection.