HammerFall
No Sacrifice, No Victory
Nuclear Blast
ETA 24 February 2009

What they’re saying
No Sacrifice, No Victory is Swedish Power Metallers HammerFall’s first studio album since 2006 – last year’s Masterpieces being a collection of songs the band has covered during its 15 years of active service. The band clearly haven’t got cover songs off their Smörgåsbord just yet though, with a cover of The Knack’s ‘My Sharona’ tail-ending the album.

Thrash Hits verdict
Swedish Power Metal doesn’t get much more powerful or Swedish than this. As HammerFall-tradition dictates, not only is there a picture of man with a hammer or the cover (it’s their mascot, ‘Hector’), but as usual there’s a song with ‘Hammer’ in the title too. Because everyone knows hammers are the most intrinsically metal of all tools.

Okay, so it’s got as much likelihood of pushing and as boundaries as a rubber duck has of flying to the moon, but sometimes you just need some ridiculous 80s throwback heavy metal pomp to get you through the Winter – which is exactly what HammerFall deliver.

Hammerfall – No Sacrifice, No Victory tracklisting
Any Means Necessary
Life Is Now
Punish And Enslave
Legion
Between Two Worlds
Hallowed Be My Name
Something For The Ages
No Sacrifice, No Victory
Bring The Hammer Down
One Of A Kind
My Sharona (a cover of the song by The Knack)