Search - HammerFall :: Chapter V: Unbent Unbowed Unbroken

LONG AWAITED, WHICH MAY HAVE EFFECTED RECEPTION

Kaptain Krude | 04/08/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There is a condition in psychology called "anticipation". Basically, it means that the longer you have to wait for something, the more you build up your expectations for that something. Then when you finally get it, that real something has to compete against your expectations and usually suffers from that comparision. I think this is what is happening in my case. I've been waiting for this album for almost 4 months, and I thought this would grab me by the throat like "Crimson Thunder" did.



Don't get me wrong, this is a must-have album. "Secrets" doesn't quite jump out at you like "Riders On The Storm" did, but it still is a hell of a kick-off. Best cuts are "Hammer of Justice", the full-throttle "Take The Black", the cool, yet contemplative instrumental "Imperial", and the ballad "Never, Ever". "Blood Bound" is a great shout-along, but "Born To Rule" is a bit repetitious in the chorus.



I didn't get the extra tracks, so I can't tell you about the instrumental version of "Blood Bound", nor the live version of "Metal Age".



Perhaps if this were the first album that I'd heard from Hammerfall, or I hadn't waited for so long, I would have given a higher rating. But that didn't happen, so I have to give this a (still relatively-high) rating of 4 stars. Hopefully, others will find that I'm being too harsh and give it a higher rating. I don't think you will regret buying this album."