Hammerfall

History

Hammerfall Was first founded in 1993 when former Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oskar Dronjak and the current In flames guitarist Jesper Strömblad decided to start a new musical project togheter. The band was later joined by the Niklas Sundin(Guitar) Johan Larsson(Bass) and Niklas Stanne(Vocal). However Niklas Sundin and Johan Larsson stay in the band were short and they left the band the following year and they were replaced by Glen Ljungström(Guitar) and Fredrik Larsson(Bass).

For Dronjak and Strömblad Hammerfall was just a sideprojekt in the beginning and both of them had other bands on the side. The band played mostly in a local contest called rockslaget. They had a few song written but they played mostly Iron Maiden covers. In 1996 Hammerfall reached the semifinals of Rockslaget but they were soon to find out that the singer Niklas Stanne was not going to be able to perform in the semifinals. They quickly started looking for a replacment singer and thats when they found Joakim Cans. Unfortually they didnt quallify for the finals but they played a great show and Joakim Cans became an offical member of the band.

After the succes of their show in Rockslaget the band send a demo to a record company i The Netherlands. They liked what they heard and the following year was spent on making songs for their first album, Glory To The Brave. The album was realesed in The Netherlands in 1997 and got very positive reactions. Now when the band grew more popular the time for the members who had other projects on the side were limited. Jepser Strömblad and Glenn Ljungström had to leave the bands as they were commited to In Flames, also the bass player Fredrik Larsson had another band on th side. They quickly found a replacment guitarist and drummer in Stefan Elmgren and Patrik Räfling. Fredrik Larsson decided to stay in the band untill they could find a replacement for him. In may 1998 Magnus Rosen joined the band and problem was solved.

In 1997 Hammerfall got a contract from the German label Nuclear Blast witch incleded four albums. The band made two videos and they realesed a promotional single witch hit number 38 on the German Music chart the week it got out. This was the highest rank a debut Heavy Metal band had ever got.

In Febuari of 1998 the band started recording their second album, lagacy Of Kings. The songs on this album was written by Oskar, Joakim and Jesper who still helped with the writing despite that he wasn`t in the band anymore.

Before the reales of the new album Hammerfall went out on tour with bands like, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Dream Theater and Stratovarius.

The band started their first world tour in October 1998 and during their frst gigs in Sweden Joakim cought a throat infection witch made it impossible for him to sing. Magnus rosen got also infected and it didnt take long untill the entire crew was infected. Due to thi they had to cancel or postpone some of their gigs. By the end of the tour the drummer Patrik Räfling lefte the band and he was replaced by Anders Johansson(Brother to Stratovarius Keyboard player Jens Johansson). Anders had previously been working with Yngwie Malmsteen.

When the band had come home from the tour and spent some time with their famylies they started recording a new album tht got the title, Renegade. The album sold gold in Sweden and this album became the big breakthrough for Hammerfall. They went on a second world tour in 2001 and the realesed a DVD called, The Templar Renegade Crusades witch included, studio footage, live concert and ecounters with fans.

In 2002 Hammerfall began recording a new album,Crimson Thunder. Six weeks before the realese of the album they realesed a single of the song Hearts on Fire witch stayed on the toplists in many countries for may weeks.

The band planned to record a video of Hearts On Fire i August but those plans had to be postpone beacuse Joakim were attacked at at bar and was hit whit a glass bootle in the face so he had to stay in the hospital for some time.

The band went on tour in the US togheter with DIO in order to promote their new album. The band contined the tour to Japan, Spain and Chech Republic, but they had to cancel the tour because Oskar had a motorcycle accident and broke his arm. The band decided to take a break during Oskars recovering.

In 2005 Hammerfall returned with a new album called Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken, and a video was recorded of the song Blood Bound.

Their newest album Threshold was realesed in 2006 and it went directly up to first place in teh swedish chart.

On march 7 2007 it was announced the Mgnus Rosen wanted to leave the band beacuse he wasn`t happy with the simple bass playing that he was forced to play in Hammerfall. Replacing Magnus was the former member Fredrik Larsson.

They recorded three new songs with they added on their new CD Steel Meets Steel - Ten Years of Glory, a special releas to celebrate the bands 10 year anniversy.

On april 2 Stefan Elmgren announced that he was going to leave the band to go on with a pilot career. Taking his place did Pontus Norgren from The Poodles.

The Band

Joakim Cans - Vocals

Oskar Dronjak - Guitar

Pontus Norgren - Guitar

Fredrik Larsson - Bass

Anders Johansson - Drums

Former Members

Johann Larsson – Bass (1993-1994)
Niklas Sundin – Guitar (1993-1995)
Mikael Stanne – Vocals (1993-1996)
Jesper Strömblad – Drums (1993-1996)
Glenn Ljungström – Guitar (1995-1997)
Patrik Räfling – Drums (1997-1999)
Magnus Rosén – Bass (1997-2007)
Stefan Elmgren – Guitar (1997 - 2008)

Discography

Albums

Legacy of Kings (1998)
Renegade (2000)
Crimson Thunder (2002)
One Crimson Night (2003, live album)
Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken (2005)
Threshold (2006)
Steel Meets Steel - Ten Years of Glory ("Best of" compilation) (2007)

Singles

Glory to the Brave (1997)
Heeding the Call (1998)
I Want Out (1999)
Renegade (2000)
Always Will Be (2001)
Hearts on Fire (2002)
Blood Bound (2005)
The Fire Burns Forever (2006)
Natural High (2006)
Last Man Standing (2007)

DVD

The First Crusade (1999)
The Templar Renegade Crusades (2002)
Hearts On Fire (2002)
One Crimson Night (2003)