31.07.2014 HammerFall

Wacken Open Air XXV

Wacken (Germany)

(Pentax K-5 with Sigma AF 70-200mm 2.8 EX DC APO HSM II)

Finally I went on Thursday evening over to the main area. There should be a nice Swedish band playing called Hammerfall. They had taken some time off but it seems that they got bored of it (at least if you can trust the words of singer Joacim Cans). And so they went into the studio to record the new 9th studio album being released in August (it will be called (r)Evolution). On the other hand they arranged the show at Wacken Open Air to celebrate the jubilee of their first album “Glory To The Brave” which was fully played.
Also Hammerfall can look back on meanwhile nearly 20 years of band history. Within that period of time there was the one or the other personal change and so this gig was used as opportunity to get the former allys back on stage again. First during “Stone Cold” Stefan Elgrem played once more the guitar and showed that he still had the skills to do so. The same you could say to Patrick Räfling taking over the drum sticks for “Unchained”. The last one was In Flames guitarist Jesper Strömblad who was plucking the strings spirited during “The Dragon Lies Bleeding”.
As encore there were some more big Hammerfall songs like “Any Means Necessary” and the always taken “Hearts On Fire”. But with “Bushido” there was also a first glance at the upcoming album. Overall it all worked out very well. The guys were simply entertaining and although they played a complete album there were no longueurs during the show. Just like two years ago a nice start into the evening program.