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Threshold is the sixth studio album by Swedish power metal band HammerFall, released on 18 October 2006.[4] The album entered the Swedish charts at number one, staying on the chart for eight weeks.[5] It was the band's first number 1 album since Renegade in 2000.[6] It is currently the last HammerFall studio album with guitarist Stefan Elmgren and bassist Magnus Rosén, as Rosén left the band in 2007 and Elmgren left in 2008.[7]
The cover artwork was created by Samwise Didier.
| Threshold | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 October 2006 | |||
| Recorded | 2006, Lundgård Studios, Denmark | |||
| Genre | Power metal, heavy metal | |||
| Length | 50:30 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer | Charlie Bauerfeind | |||
| HammerFall chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Threshold | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
The guitar solo of "Howlin' With the 'Pac" is essentially a reworked version of the one from "Hearts on Fire". As with several songs on the previous album, the song "Dark Wings, Dark Words" is inspired by A Song of Ice and Fire.[8]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Threshold" | Oscar Dronjak, Joacim Cans | 4:45 |
| 2. | "The Fire Burns Forever" | Dronjak, Cans | 3:22 |
| 3. | "Rebel Inside" | Dronjak | 5:34 |
| 4. | "Natural High" | Dronjak, Cans | 4:16 |
| 5. | "Dark Wings, Dark Words" | Dronjak, Cans | 5:02 |
| 6. | "Howlin' With the 'Pac" | Dronjak, Cans | 4:06 |
| 7. | "Shadow Empire" | Dronjak, Cans, Stefan Elmgren | 5:15 |
| 8. | "Carved in Stone" | Dronjak, Cans | 6:13 |
| 9. | "Reign of the Hammer" | Elmgren | 2:50 |
| 10. | "Genocide" | Dronjak, Cans, Elmgren | 4:43 |
| 11. | "Titan" | Dronjak, Cans | 4:24 |
| Total length: | 50:30 | ||
Music videos
edit- The song "Natural High" was made into a music video depicting Hector the Knight battling vampires in a decrepit castle; he managed to kill most of the vampires with his hammer, but one of them escapes, leaving Hector by himself. The video itself is a montage alternating between the band and the action, which is shot in live-action and complemented with CGI.[9]
- The song "The Fire Burns Forever" was also made into a music video.[10] The band recorded it with some of the Swedish participants in the European Athletics Championships.[11]
Single "The Fire Burns Forever"
edit"The Fire Burns Forever" was also released as a single and only available as a download between 6 August and 6 September 2006, exclusively at the ITunes Store and Nuclear Blast Musicshop. Hammerfall and the athletes also performed "The Fire Burns Forever" at the official opening of the Championships on 6 August in Gothenburg, Sweden.[11]
Personnel
edit- Joacim Cans – lead vocals
- Oscar Dronjak – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, programming
- Stefan Elmgren – lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, programming
- Magnus Rosén – bass
- Anders Johansson – drums
Backing vocals by Oliver Hartmann, Rolf Köhler, Olaf Zenkbiel, Mats Rendlert, Joacim Lundberg, Markus Sköld, and Johan Aremyr
Chart positions
edit- Sweden: #1
- Germany: #15
- Austria: #30
- Switzerland: #32
- France: #192
References
edit- ^ "HammerFall - The Fire Burns Forever - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "HammerFall - Natural High". Discogs. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ "Threshold | Hammerfall - Official Webpage". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
- ^ "Threshold in Swedish charts". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
- ^ "Swedish charts archive". Retrieved 9 January 2010.
- ^ "Magnus Rosén". magnusrosen.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "HammerFall - Threshold - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ Nuclear Blast Records (22 September 2006). "Hammerfall – Natural High (Official Music Video)". Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ Nuclear Blast Records (24 June 2008). "Hammerfall – The Fire Burns Forever (Official Music Video)". Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "Hammerfall Reveal New Album Details". Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "swedishcharts.com - HammerFall - Threshold". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.