Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's the Vikings!!!, March 20, 2003
The second in the "Viking trilogy" by legendary Swedish black-metallers Bathory. This album has to be among the most epic recordings ever in the history of metal, encompassing all the grandeur and power of the Viking forefathers and the gods of the Asatru Bathory frontman Quorthon had idolized during this period. Expanding on the themes (both lyrically and musically) established by the previous album, "Blood Fire Death," this album speaks of warriors off to battle, Gods of thunder, and the cold lands of the Nordic mountains...everything a good viking-metal album should have. Most of the songs are six minutes or longer, abundant with brutal guitar riffs, pummeling drums, and Quorthon's screams (which have taken on a cleaner approach, sounding more like singing instead of the glass-gargling screech of previous Bathory albums). He even performs a variety of choruses for background vocals, which adds an eerie and epic effect to the overall music (it's all him, but it sounds like an army of choir singers). The production is a big improvement...still not as good as bigger metal bands, but definitely steps above the first several albums. The one complaint I have about this album is the eighth track, the hidden outro...it's the exact same outro used on "Blood Fire Death." Not having heard "Twilight of the Gods" (the third in the "Viking trilogy"), I don't know if this was done to keep the three albums in a conceptual framework to tie them all together...if so, then it's okay. If not, then it's just redundant. Aside from that, "Hammerheart" is an album to end all viking-metal albums. It is a call to arms, a call to glory, and a call to Valhalla. If you are a fan of epic-sized grand-scale metal, listen ot Bathory's "Hammerheart." You won't be disappointed.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hammerheart, December 11, 2006
First and foremost, I must address the fact that I was almost retired from writing reviews for this site. The only thing that stopped me from doing so was this album, plain and simple. It's very important that if a piece of music exists that is, well, this important, then it is your absolute duty as a listener to help make others aware! This album is honestly that good. Those of you that have heard very little of Bathory's work probably know that Bathory was, at first, a black metal project. Their self-titled debut showcased great talent and basically gave birth to the black metal style (shreiking vocals, thundering drums, tremolo guitar picking, etc.). As many have noted, throughout releases Quorothon progressed as a songwriter and eventually took a huge turn in his songwriting. This is most noted with "Blood Fire Death", an album that has been noted as the very first "Viking Metal" album. Though "Blood Fire Death" was epic in its own right, I still feel it had the "black metal" feel that was presented most notably in previously albums. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying "Blood Fire Death" was a black metal album, I'm simply saying that he was still a little early in the transitional period. After "Blood Fire Death" comes "Hammerheart". I can't say enough good things about this album. Most of the vocals are done clean and sound magnificent. I'm not saying that Quorothon is a great singer. As a matter of fact, he's actually a little below average with his range, but the fact remains that he puts so much passion in what he's saying, you'll barely notice the lacking vocals. All instruments play their parts perfectly. I believe that there is only one word that can do justice to the songwriting in this album, that word is epic. Another element that sets this album apart from many many others, past, present and future, is the lyrics. The lyrics are absolutely stunning and are included in the booklet. I could go on and on about how great this album is, but I highly doubt any of you fellow shoppers have the time to read about it. Basically, I'm just going to say that if you're lucky enough to be looking at this page and don't own this album, do yourself a favor and pick it up!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My all time favorite epic Viking metal album., July 9, 2003
This album is timeless. To me, this is the perfect Viking metal album, bar none. I've always loved Bathory because Quorthon has never been afraid to branch out into different areas musically and lyrically. Being a dedicated fan of Norse mythology, I found this album to be very rewarding as far as the lyrics and themes go. The lyrics are intelligent, especially those on "One rode to Asa bay" in which Quorthon tells a tale of Christianity making it's impact on Scandinavian culture. "Shores in flames" is an excellent first hand account of a Viking raid. I paricularily like the opening two and a half or three minutes in which Quorthon plays some very beautiful guitar lines and shows that he can actually sing very well. It comes off as surprising when compared to the rough, savage vocals found on his earlier works. "Valhalla" is one of my favorite cuts on this album and it contains some very uplifing guitar lines found in the first couple minutes of the song. There is one very good, but unfortunately very short song on this album which only clocks in at 2:30 called "Song to hall up high", and I have to say that the guitar work on this song is perfect and Quorthon's vocals are in fine form here. Despite it's lengh, it is very enjoyable and fits in with the epic mood of this album. The cover art which is known as "A viking's last journey" is also a perfect pick, as it goes along wth the music. I can honestly say after much consideration that this is my favorite Viking metal album and I highly recommend this work of art to anyone who likes their music epic and big sounding.
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