Me and my big mouth. Just the other day I wrote about Power Metal being an example of obvious Metal music with very few artistic and creative liberty. Yeah, right. Now comes Feanor to say “Hellhammer” to make me eat my words. This sad and lonely and pathetic little planet is round, my dear children of the night.
Okay, then, that said, I have here with me “Hellhammer,” an album that proves Metal bands can bake the dough using the same ingredients, and, yet, get bigger and more delicious bread. No, Feanor do not reinvent the wheel. “Hellhammer” is no groundbreaking record. But I can tell it is so delicious. This is so maybe because:
“With our upcoming release, listeners can expect an exciting and unique musical experience that showcases a truly global collaboration. This album has been crafted by musicians from across the world, including Mike Stark in Sweden, Thilo Herrmann (ex-Running Wild, ex-Grave Digger) in Germany, Diana Boncheva in South Korea, EV Martel in Brazil, Gus Acosta and Emiliano Wachs in Argentina, along with contributions from many other talented artists in various countries. This worldwide effort brings a rich diversity of influences and styles to the project but always keeping our north into the Feanor sound we are known for.”
By the way, they forgot to state EV Martel was with Manowar from 2019 to 2022. Ironically, or not, he was from a tribute Manowar band called Kings of Steel.
With a line-up as impressive as this one, no wonder “Hellhammer” is an album to praise. Do not forget all the guest musicians and special appearances of musicians like Ross the Boss. But, besides all that, what makes the band so interesting?
My fellow children of the night who are musicians might understand what I am about to say. The impression I get is that the main songwriter imagines a song that would sound in a way, but when it comes to perform the idea with real instruments it comes to sound very different. However, it turns out to sound so good that they keep on anyway. For instance, vocalist Mike Stark sometimes exceeds on his abilities and gets slightly out of tune, what, from where I am standing makes the song even more attractive. As you all know this is not an exact science. Album opener “Sirens of Death“ is a great example. The chorus of “Bad Decisions” sounds a little extreme to my ears. There are lots of violin and orchestral pieces that sound a little off as well. But, want to know what? They all sound great! Maybe it’s me because I particularly love this kind of Metal, but I find “Hellhammer” great. Not only to speak ill of the dead, but vocals on “Bad Decisions” are the kind of bold that worked fine. Here Mike Stark exceeds and hits bull’s eye. The anthemic album tittle track “Hellhammer“ has fantastic guitars and that singalong spirit that gets the fan by the guts. More Manowar than ever with some little touches of early Running Wild. Great song! Following track “Remember the Fallen” is more exciting the its tittle showcases with a very catchy guitar phrase and remarkable vocals.
There is no way of not saying that the major influence to “Hellhammer” is Manowar. To see “Hellhammer” performed alive must be fantastic! A hell of an album to watch the band perform alive in a big festival.
Feanor “Hellhammer” will be released on September 19th via No Remorse Records.
Track Listing:
- Sirens of Death
- Bad Decisions
- Hellhammer
- Remember the Fallen
- The Conqueror’s Path
- The Epic Of Gilgamesh Pt2 (The Quest for Immortality)
- H.M.J
- Maglor the Singer
- Forged in Steel
- The Flight of the Valkyries
- Houses of Fire
- The Ballad of Beren And Luthien
- This One’s For You
Watch official music video here:
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!