Nuclear Blast
Release : February 20th 2009

Tracklist “No Sacrifice No Victory” :
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 (The Knack cover)

Here is the very last album from the swedish group Hammerfall “No Sacrifice No Victory”. The style of the group is a powerful and melodic metal. Musically the group continues to do the same metal style, that is to say a classic and melodic heavy metal. The album begins with
« Any Means Necessary », a mid tempo track with very present choirs in the refrain. Song that you accompany at vocals … « Between Two Worlds » is a very dark ballad, all in emotion and superbly well interpreted by Joacim Cans. If Hammerfall has a little different « thing » from other groups, I do think that the vocalist voice is for something, never aggressive and also melodic. The tracks are well rhythmed, powerful and relatively varied, with melodic riffs and soli which are also melodic and the instrumental track « Something For The ages » is just simply superb, melodic and epic and the guitars playing are excellent. The rhythmic section is also powerful and efficient. It is an album to well orchestrated compositions, varied, efficient and energetic.
« No Sacrifice No Victory » ends with a cover from The Knack « My Sharona », already covered so many times, but personnaly I find it excellent.
This last Hammerfall opus is a success and the coming of the guitarist; Pontus Norgren brings a little plus to the group. At the end a powerful, heavy album with nice melodic instrumental and vocals lines.

Line up :
Joacim Cans (chant) (vocals)
Osacar Drojak (guitare/backing vocals) (guitars/backing vocals)
Pontus Norgren (guitare/backing vocals) (guitars/backing vocals)
Fredrik Larsson (basse) (bass)
Anders Johansson (batterie) (drums)

Contacts :
http://www.myspace.com/hammerfall
http://www.hammerfall.net